What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On March 26, 2014, about 1740 local time, a Cessna 172P, N9551L, landed in a field following a loss of engine power near Inarajan, guam. The airplane was registered to, and operated by, trend vector aviation international under the provisions of 14 code of federal regulations part 91 as an introductory flight lesson. The flight instructor (CFI) and two passengers were not injured. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the firewall the local flight departed guam international airport, agana, about 1720. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed. The CFI reported that after takeoff he initiated a climb to the left, and having reached an altitude
Of 1,500 feet MSL, he began a turn to the southwest towards apra harbor. He continued the flight while maintaining a cruise altitude of 1,500 feet, an airspeed of between 95 and 100 knots indicated, and engine speed of 2,300 RPM. About 20 minutes after takeoff the engine speed began to decrease. He
Confirmed the mixture control was set to full rich, and then applied full forward throttle control.
The engine speed increased momentarily, but then decreased such that only partial power was being produced. He applied full carburetor heat, but the engine did not respond. The airplane would not maintain altitude, so the pilot initiated an approach to a landfill for a forced landing. As he approached the landing area he could see heavy equipment on the intended landing zone, so he initiated a turn towards a tall-grass field for a tailwind landing. He stated that during
The final approach the engine was no longer producing any power, and the propeller appeared to be wind-milling. The airplane came to rest with the nose-down after the nose gear dug into the into the ground.
As the FAA filed it
ON MARCH 26, 2014, ABOUT 1740 LOCAL TIME, A CESSNA 172P, N9551L, LANDED IN A FIELD FOLLOWING A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER NEAR INARAJAN, GUAM. THE AIRPLANE WAS REGISTERED TO, AND OPERATED BY, TREND VECTOR AVIATION INTERNATIONAL UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91 AS AN INTRODUCTORY FLIGHT LESSON. THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR (CFI) AND TWO PASSENGERS WERE NOT INJURED. THE AIRPLANE SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE FIREWALL THE LOCAL FLIGHT DEPARTED GUAM INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, AGANA, ABOUT 1720. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED. THE CFI REPORTED THAT AFTER TAKEOFF HE INITIATED A CLIMB TO THE LEFT, AND HAVING REACHED AN ALTITUDE
OF 1,500 FEET MSL, HE BEGAN A TURN TO THE SOUTHWEST TOWARDS APRA HARBOR. HE CONTINUED THE FLIGHT WHILE MAINTAINING A CRUISE ALTITUDE OF 1,500 FEET, AN AIRSPEED OF BETWEEN 95 AND 100 KNOTS INDICATED, AND ENGINE SPEED OF 2,300 RPM. ABOUT 20 MINUTES AFTER TAKEOFF THE ENGINE SPEED BEGAN TO DECREASE. HE
CONFIRMED THE MIXTURE CONTROL WAS SET TO FULL RICH, AND THEN APPLIED FULL FORWARD THROTTLE CONTROL.
THE ENGINE SPEED INCREASED MOMENTARILY, BUT THEN DECREASED SUCH THAT ONLY PARTIAL POWER WAS BEING PRODUCED. HE APPLIED FULL CARBURETOR HEAT, BUT THE ENGINE DID NOT RESPOND. THE AIRPLANE WOULD NOT MAINTAIN ALTITUDE, SO THE PILOT INITIATED AN APPROACH TO A LANDFILL FOR A FORCED LANDING. AS HE APPROACHED THE LANDING AREA HE COULD SEE HEAVY EQUIPMENT ON THE INTENDED LANDING ZONE, SO HE INITIATED A TURN TOWARDS A TALL-GRASS FIELD FOR A TAILWIND LANDING. HE STATED THAT DURING
THE FINAL APPROACH THE ENGINE WAS NO LONGER PRODUCING ANY POWER, AND THE PROPELLER APPEARED TO BE WIND-MILLING. THE AIRPLANE CAME TO REST WITH THE NOSE-DOWN AFTER THE NOSE GEAR DUG INTO THE INTO THE GROUND.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N9551L · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.