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20091127053109I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Cessna 172M · Rockport, TX · November 27, 2009

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
November 27, 2009 · 13:30 local
Place
Rockport, TX
Airport
Rockport
Phase of flight
Landing: Approach
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N9908Q
Reported as
Cessna 172M
Reported engine
Lycoming 0-320 series
People aboard
4
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
1
Pilot’s certificate
Airline transport
Pilot’s flight hours
2,244 total3 in this make and model95 in the last 90 days
N9908QRegistration cancelled Dec 1, 2014 · Cessna 172MS/N 17265852 · Built 1975Airframe modelCessna 172MEngine modelLycoming 0-320 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.

The pilot rented the aircraft at corpus christi (kcrp) for a sight seeing flight over the bay area to Rockport,TX (krpk) about a 30 min. Flight. Visual inspection of the fuel tanks showed fuel up to the tabs which should have allowed for approximately 2.5 hours of flying. The pilot stated that the engine was more difficult to start than normal. An uneventful runup and take off was followed by a routine flight over the bay and surrounding areas at 500 ft. MSL. The pilot stated that as he approached shoreline east of Rockport a climb was initiated to 1,000 ft. for traffic pattern entry when the engine lost power at about 800 ft MSL. The pilot stated that he performed the emergency items for loss of power in flight including selecting carb heat on. He tried to restart the engine twice and elected to conduct a controlled ditching in the bay. Rockport ASOS weather reported at 1853Z wind 130/05, 10 mile visibility, temp 18 dew point 09. The aircraft nosed over after the ditching and all of the occupants exited the aircraft. A local fisherman picked them up and transported them to shore.

As the FAA filed it

THE PILOT RENTED THE AIRCRAFT AT CORPUS CHRISTI (KCRP) FOR A SIGHT SEEING FLIGHT OVER THE BAY AREA TO ROCKPORT,TX (KRPK) ABOUT A 30 MIN. FLIGHT. VISUAL INSPECTION OF THE FUEL TANKS SHOWED FUEL UP TO THE TABS WHICH SHOULD HAVE ALLOWED FOR APPROXIMATELY 2.5 HOURS OF FLYING. THE PILOT STATED THAT THE ENGINE WAS MORE DIFFICULT TO START THAN NORMAL. AN UNEVENTFUL RUNUP AND TAKE OFF WAS FOLLOWED BY A ROUTINE FLIGHT OVER THE BAY AND SURROUNDING AREAS AT 500 FT. MSL. THE PILOT STATED THAT AS HE APPROACHED SHORELINE EAST OF ROCKPORT A CLIMB WAS INITIATED TO 1,000 FT. FOR TRAFFIC PATTERN ENTRY WHEN THE ENGINE LOST POWER AT ABOUT 800 FT MSL. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE PERFORMED THE EMERGENCY ITEMS FOR LOSS OF POWER IN FLIGHT INCLUDING SELECTING CARB HEAT ON. HE TRIED TO RESTART THE ENGINE TWICE AND ELECTED TO CONDUCT A CONTROLLED DITCHING IN THE BAY. ROCKPORT ASOS WEATHER REPORTED AT 1853Z WIND 130/05, 10 MILE VISIBILITY, TEMP 18 DEW POINT 09. THE AIRCRAFT NOSED OVER AFTER THE DITCHING AND ALL OF THE OCCUPANTS EXITED THE AIRCRAFT. A LOCAL FISHERMAN PICKED THEM UP AND TRANSPORTED THEM TO SHORE.