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20131215024619A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Cessna 172M · Bethel, AK · December 15, 2013

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
December 15, 2013 · 17:23 local
Place
Bethel, AK
Phase of flight
Takeoff: Departure Roll
Operating rules
Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
Operator
YAAA
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N20109
NTSB investigation
NTSBANC14LA011
Reported as
Cessna 172M
Reported engine
Lycoming 0-320 series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificates
Commercial pilot, flight instructor, private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
1,407 total338 in this make and model175 in the last 90 days
N20109Registration cancelled Dec 12, 2014 · Cessna 172MS/N 17261017 · Built 1972Airframe 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.

On December 15, 2013, at 1730 Alaska daylight time, a Cessna 172, N20109, lost power during takeoff and overshot the runway overrun area and through the outer border fence at the Bethel airport, Bethel, Alaska. The NTSB released the aircraft for recovery to yute air, and the aircraft was picked up and moved to the company?s maintenance facility.

On December 16, 2013 at approximately 1030 local, I conducted a witness interview with the PIC and then visually inspected the aircraft N20109. A review of photos taken approximately 1 hour after the accident clearly show the left hand fuel tank cap missing, the fuel selector in the off position and the aircraft covered with ice.

The propeller spinner was found separated from the engine and exhibited a large flat spot on one side with no signatures of rotation. An inspection of the aircrafts fuel system did not reveal any anomalies, but when the fuselage fuel sump and gascolator were checked for fuel with the selector in the off position they were empty. When the fuel selector was moved to the both position, both the gascolator and fuselage sump exhibited fuel.

The propeller assembly was removed from the aircraft and the crankshaft was found to be .0002 out of round with a dial gauge. A slave propeller assembly was reinstalled on the aircraft and an engine run was performed. With just replacing the propeller assembly and using the same fuel that was onboard the aircraft at the time of the accident, the engine started up and ran without stumbling or hesitation.

As the FAA filed it

ON DECEMBER 15, 2013, AT 1730 ALASKA DAYLIGHT TIME, A CESSNA 172, N20109, LOST POWER DURING TAKEOFF AND OVERSHOT THE RUNWAY OVERRUN AREA AND THROUGH THE OUTER BORDER FENCE AT THE BETHEL AIRPORT, BETHEL, ALASKA. THE NTSB RELEASED THE AIRCRAFT FOR RECOVERY TO YUTE AIR, AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS PICKED UP AND MOVED TO THE COMPANY?S MAINTENANCE FACILITY.

ON DECEMBER 16, 2013 AT APPROXIMATELY 1030 LOCAL, I CONDUCTED A WITNESS INTERVIEW WITH THE PIC AND THEN VISUALLY INSPECTED THE AIRCRAFT N20109. A REVIEW OF PHOTOS TAKEN APPROXIMATELY 1 HOUR AFTER THE ACCIDENT CLEARLY SHOW THE LEFT HAND FUEL TANK CAP MISSING, THE FUEL SELECTOR IN THE OFF POSITION AND THE AIRCRAFT COVERED WITH ICE.

THE PROPELLER SPINNER WAS FOUND SEPARATED FROM THE ENGINE AND EXHIBITED A LARGE FLAT SPOT ON ONE SIDE WITH NO SIGNATURES OF ROTATION. AN INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFTS FUEL SYSTEM DID NOT REVEAL ANY ANOMALIES, BUT WHEN THE FUSELAGE FUEL SUMP AND GASCOLATOR WERE CHECKED FOR FUEL WITH THE SELECTOR IN THE OFF POSITION THEY WERE EMPTY. WHEN THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS MOVED TO THE BOTH POSITION, BOTH THE GASCOLATOR AND FUSELAGE SUMP EXHIBITED FUEL.

THE PROPELLER ASSEMBLY WAS REMOVED FROM THE AIRCRAFT AND THE CRANKSHAFT WAS FOUND TO BE .0002 OUT OF ROUND WITH A DIAL GAUGE. A SLAVE PROPELLER ASSEMBLY WAS REINSTALLED ON THE AIRCRAFT AND AN ENGINE RUN WAS PERFORMED. WITH JUST REPLACING THE PROPELLER ASSEMBLY AND USING THE SAME FUEL THAT WAS ONBOARD THE AIRCRAFT AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT, THE ENGINE STARTED UP AND RAN WITHOUT STUMBLING OR HESITATION.

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 ANC14LA011Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportBethel, AKThe pilot’s decision to abort the takeoff with insufficient runway remaining, which resulted in a runway excursion.Dec 15, 2013 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N20109 · 2

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Incident 20121125026029ILanding: Approach · Bethel, AKAircraft departed nunapitchuk, Alaska for a flight to Bethel, Alaska. Cruise altitude was around 1200-1500 feet AGL, engine RPM around 2500. About 10 miles west of the Bethel airport the pilot noticed a strange vibration coming from the engine, assuming it…Nov 25, 2012 · Minor damageAccident 20100119026049ATakeoff: Departure Roll · Bethel, AKThe aircraft was attempting a soft-field takeoff using rwy 1L at the Bethel Airport when the aircraft yawed and banked violently to the left just as the nose wheel started to rise slightly. The aircraft veered 90 degrees and continued into the grassy section…Jan 19, 2010 · Substantial damage