20160531009659I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Cessna 172D · Weston, ME · May 31, 2016

Date: May 31, 2016 · 18:05 local
Place: Weston, ME
Airport: Houlton, Maine
Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N2436U
Reported as: Cessna 172D
Reported engine: Continental 0-300 series
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours: 4,609 total150 in this make and model1 in the last 90 days

N2436URegistration cancelled Feb 6, 2017 · Cessna 172DS/N 17250036 · Built 1963 Airframe modelCessna 172D Engine modelContinental 0-300 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.

Departed princeton, Maine to Houlton, Maine.

Ground run was good. Flying between 4000 and 4500 feet MSL. All engine instruments and gages where showing in the green. About 25 mins, into the flight the engine just stopped running. Pilot stated he had 15 gallons of fuel on board. Pilot checked fuel selectors , mixture full rich,carb heat on,mag switch on both while slowing the aircraft to about 65 mph. Pulled the primer out and it had fuel in it, tried using the primer for a restart. Also was trying to get to an open area along route 1 but was losing altitude to fast and opted to a water landing as opposed to landing in the tree. The terrain in the area is very hilly and is heavily wooded.

As the FAA filed it

DEPARTED PRINCETON, MAINE TO HOULTON, MAINE.

GROUND RUN WAS GOOD. FLYING BETWEEN 4000 AND 4500 FEET MSL. ALL ENGINE INSTRUMENTS AND GAGES WHERE SHOWING IN THE GREEN. ABOUT 25 MINS, INTO THE FLIGHT THE ENGINE JUST STOPPED RUNNING. PILOT STATED HE HAD 15 GALLONS OF FUEL ON BOARD. PILOT CHECKED FUEL SELECTORS , MIXTURE FULL RICH,CARB HEAT ON,MAG SWITCH ON BOTH WHILE SLOWING THE AIRCRAFT TO ABOUT 65 MPH. PULLED THE PRIMER OUT AND IT HAD FUEL IN IT, TRIED USING THE PRIMER FOR A RESTART. ALSO WAS TRYING TO GET TO AN OPEN AREA ALONG ROUTE 1 BUT WAS LOSING ALTITUDE TO FAST AND OPTED TO A WATER LANDING AS OPPOSED TO LANDING IN THE TREE. THE TERRAIN IN THE AREA IS VERY HILLY AND IS HEAVILY WOODED.