20090906017379A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Cessna 170A · Grain Valley, MO · September 6, 2009

Date: September 6, 2009 · 15:30 local
Place: Grain Valley, MO
Airport: East Kansas City
Phase of flight: Landing
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N9129A
NTSB investigation: NTSBCEN09LA576
Reported as: Cessna 170A
Reported engine: Continental O300*
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 9,000 total20 in this make and model75 in the last 90 days

N9129ARegistration cancelled May 2, 2011 · Cessna 170AS/N 18888 · Built 1949 Airframe modelCessna 170A Engine modelContinental C145 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(-23) The pilot approached Grain Valley, MO, East Kansas City Airport (3GV) for landing, after a cross country flight from blakesburg, IA (IA27). According to the pilot, at two to three miles out, the engine lost power and started winding down. The pilot was able to keep the engine running in spurts, by pumping the throttle. The pilot reported that at 1/3 to 1/2 mile out, the engine quit completely. At that time the pilot made the decision to land on runway 23. The landing was downwind with a 5 to 8 knot tailwind. The aircraft touched down, ballooned, and the engine began running again. The pilot stated that he forced the aircraft to ground to avoid going into trees and a neighborhood. The aircraft impacted the ground, very heavily damaging the landing gear internal mounting fixtures and deforming the external skins around the landing gear mounts.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) THE PILOT APPROACHED GRAIN VALLEY, MO, EAST KANSAS CITY AIRPORT (3GV) FOR LANDING, AFTER A CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT FROM BLAKESBURG, IA (IA27). ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, AT TWO TO THREE MILES OUT, THE ENGINE LOST POWER AND STARTED WINDING DOWN. THE PILOT WAS ABLE TO KEEP THE ENGINE RUNNING IN SPURTS, BY PUMPING THE THROTTLE. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT AT 1/3 TO 1/2 MILE OUT, THE ENGINE QUIT COMPLETELY. AT THAT TIME THE PILOT MADE THE DECISION TO LAND ON RUNWAY 23. THE LANDING WAS DOWNWIND WITH A 5 TO 8 KNOT TAILWIND. THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN, BALLOONED, AND THE ENGINE BEGAN RUNNING AGAIN. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE FORCED THE AIRCRAFT TO GROUND TO AVOID GOING INTO TREES AND A NEIGHBORHOOD. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND, VERY HEAVILY DAMAGING THE LANDING GEAR INTERNAL MOUNTING FIXTURES AND DEFORMING THE EXTERNAL SKINS AROUND THE LANDING GEAR MOUNTS.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB CEN09LA576Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportGrain Valley, MOA loss of engine power due to carburetor icing as a result of the pilot's failure to use carburetor heat.Sep 6, 2009 · Substantial damage