What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The crew of N7414N, a Cessna 172E, suffered an engine failure during a training maneuver, and landed the aircraft on a public road. After touch down, the right wing struck a pole, causing the aircraft to turn right before coming to a rest in a ditch. The student observer in the left rear seat received a minor head injury, and the pilots in the front received no injuries. The student pilot was in the left front seat and the instructor in the right front.
Per the written narratives of the occupants and interviews with the instructor, flight began at warrenton-fauquier airport (khwy). The AWOS was reported as wind: 230/6, visibility: 6 miles, ceiling: 11000 overcast, temperature: 4 c, dewpoint: -12 c, altimeter: 30.49.
After departure, the crew arrived at a training area located approximately 13 NM southwest of khwy. The crew performed clearing turns at 2500 feet before climbing to 3000 to perform steep turns. The aircraft configuration was reported as fuel selector - both, flaps - zero, mixture - full, carburetor heat ? Off, magnetos ? Both, and primer ? In and locked. After completing steep turns, the instructor reported reconfiguring the aircraft with full flaps and carburetor heat on, and then performing slow flight and a transition to a power off stall. The student pilot was flying with the instructor riding the controls. Upon reaching stall indication, the student added full power but felt no response from the engine. From here, the accounts differ, with the student reporting that he pushed in the carburetor heat knob while the instructor stated that the carburetor heat knob was left in the out position. The instructor also stated that the stiffness of the carburetor knob required two hands to move, and so it was unlikely that the student was able to push it in. The engine was reported to be windmilling for a few seconds, and then completely stopped. The instructor took the controls and established best glide speed for troubleshooting and restarting. The aircraft was near 2500 feet at this point. The instructor scanned for best suitable landing site while attempting two restarts with the aid of the student pilot. The restart attempts consisted of fuel selector ? Both, flaps ? Clean, mixture ? Rich, throttle ? Full, carburetor heat ? On, magnetos ? Both, primer ? In and locked, ignition switch ? Engage. The engine/propeller spun when the starter was engaged but remained stopped when disengaged.
With the restart attempts unsuccessful, the crew prepared for an emergency landing by placing fuel selector ? Off but leaving mixture ? Rich, throttle ? Full and carburetor heat ? On. The initial landing site was a dirt field that turned out to have standing water, so the crew diverted to a nearby public road. The crew avoided a power line by flying under it, and was able to complete a firm landing. During the rollout, the right wing struck a telephone pole and caused the aircraft to come to a rest in a ditch.
During the post-crash inspection, the exhaust baffle, exhaust shroud, carburetor heat butterfly valve, and the carburetor heat selector knob and cable were all intact or functioning normally, though the knob?s stiffness required two hands to operate. The engine was started and ran with no abnormalities, and the carburetor heat system displayed normal operations when cycled.
As the FAA filed it
THE CREW OF N7414N, A CESSNA 172E, SUFFERED AN ENGINE FAILURE DURING A TRAINING MANEUVER, AND LANDED THE AIRCRAFT ON A PUBLIC ROAD. AFTER TOUCH DOWN, THE RIGHT WING STRUCK A POLE, CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO TURN RIGHT BEFORE COMING TO A REST IN A DITCH. THE STUDENT OBSERVER IN THE LEFT REAR SEAT RECEIVED A MINOR HEAD INJURY, AND THE PILOTS IN THE FRONT RECEIVED NO INJURIES. THE STUDENT PILOT WAS IN THE LEFT FRONT SEAT AND THE INSTRUCTOR IN THE RIGHT FRONT.
PER THE WRITTEN NARRATIVES OF THE OCCUPANTS AND INTERVIEWS WITH THE INSTRUCTOR, FLIGHT BEGAN AT WARRENTON-FAUQUIER AIRPORT (KHWY). THE AWOS WAS REPORTED AS WIND: 230/6, VISIBILITY: 6 MILES, CEILING: 11000 OVERCAST, TEMPERATURE: 4 C, DEWPOINT: -12 C, ALTIMETER: 30.49.
AFTER DEPARTURE, THE CREW ARRIVED AT A TRAINING AREA LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 13 NM SOUTHWEST OF KHWY. THE CREW PERFORMED CLEARING TURNS AT 2500 FEET BEFORE CLIMBING TO 3000 TO PERFORM STEEP TURNS. THE AIRCRAFT CONFIGURATION WAS REPORTED AS FUEL SELECTOR - BOTH, FLAPS - ZERO, MIXTURE - FULL, CARBURETOR HEAT ? OFF, MAGNETOS ? BOTH, AND PRIMER ? IN AND LOCKED. AFTER COMPLETING STEEP TURNS, THE INSTRUCTOR REPORTED RECONFIGURING THE AIRCRAFT WITH FULL FLAPS AND CARBURETOR HEAT ON, AND THEN PERFORMING SLOW FLIGHT AND A TRANSITION TO A POWER OFF STALL. THE STUDENT PILOT WAS FLYING WITH THE INSTRUCTOR RIDING THE CONTROLS. UPON REACHING STALL INDICATION, THE STUDENT ADDED FULL POWER BUT FELT NO RESPONSE FROM THE ENGINE. FROM HERE, THE ACCOUNTS DIFFER, WITH THE STUDENT REPORTING THAT HE PUSHED IN THE CARBURETOR HEAT KNOB WHILE THE INSTRUCTOR STATED THAT THE CARBURETOR HEAT KNOB WAS LEFT IN THE OUT POSITION. THE INSTRUCTOR ALSO STATED THAT THE STIFFNESS OF THE CARBURETOR KNOB REQUIRED TWO HANDS TO MOVE, AND SO IT WAS UNLIKELY THAT THE STUDENT WAS ABLE TO PUSH IT IN. THE ENGINE WAS REPORTED TO BE WINDMILLING FOR A FEW SECONDS, AND THEN COMPLETELY STOPPED. THE INSTRUCTOR TOOK THE CONTROLS AND ESTABLISHED BEST GLIDE SPEED FOR TROUBLESHOOTING AND RESTARTING. THE AIRCRAFT WAS NEAR 2500 FEET AT THIS POINT. THE INSTRUCTOR SCANNED FOR BEST SUITABLE LANDING SITE WHILE ATTEMPTING TWO RESTARTS WITH THE AID OF THE STUDENT PILOT. THE RESTART ATTEMPTS CONSISTED OF FUEL SELECTOR ? BOTH, FLAPS ? CLEAN, MIXTURE ? RICH, THROTTLE ? FULL, CARBURETOR HEAT ? ON, MAGNETOS ? BOTH, PRIMER ? IN AND LOCKED, IGNITION SWITCH ? ENGAGE. THE ENGINE/PROPELLER SPUN WHEN THE STARTER WAS ENGAGED BUT REMAINED STOPPED WHEN DISENGAGED.
WITH THE RESTART ATTEMPTS UNSUCCESSFUL, THE CREW PREPARED FOR AN EMERGENCY LANDING BY PLACING FUEL SELECTOR ? OFF BUT LEAVING MIXTURE ? RICH, THROTTLE ? FULL AND CARBURETOR HEAT ? ON. THE INITIAL LANDING SITE WAS A DIRT FIELD THAT TURNED OUT TO HAVE STANDING WATER, SO THE CREW DIVERTED TO A NEARBY PUBLIC ROAD. THE CREW AVOIDED A POWER LINE BY FLYING UNDER IT, AND WAS ABLE TO COMPLETE A FIRM LANDING. DURING THE ROLLOUT, THE RIGHT WING STRUCK A TELEPHONE POLE AND CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO COME TO A REST IN A DITCH.
DURING THE POST-CRASH INSPECTION, THE EXHAUST BAFFLE, EXHAUST SHROUD, CARBURETOR HEAT BUTTERFLY VALVE, AND THE CARBURETOR HEAT SELECTOR KNOB AND CABLE WERE ALL INTACT OR FUNCTIONING NORMALLY, THOUGH THE KNOB?S STIFFNESS REQUIRED TWO HANDS TO OPERATE. THE ENGINE WAS STARTED AND RAN WITH NO ABNORMALITIES, AND THE CARBURETOR HEAT SYSTEM DISPLAYED NORMAL OPERATIONS WHEN CYCLED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.