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20201009018549I

Incident · No damage
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FAA incident report · Cessna 172G · Marshall, MI · October 9, 2020

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
October 9, 2020 · 13:56 local
Place
Marshall, MI
Phase of flight
Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
No damage
Aircraft
N888H
Reported as
Cessna 172G
Reported engine
Continental 0-300 series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
1,600 total
N888HRegistered now · Cessna 172GS/N 17254395 · Built 1966Airframe modelCessna 172GEngine 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.

On 10/09/2020 at 1356 local time a Cessna 172G, N888H, aircraft made a precautionary landing in a farm field 12 miles south east of Marshall, Michigan following a partial loss of engine power. The landing was successful with no damage to the aircraft and no injury to the pilot, who was the sole occupant. Prior to landing the pilot was able to contact air traffic control and advise them of the situation and again notified them by telephone once on the ground.

Interview with the pilot reveled the aircraft had just come out of an annual inspection following 9 years of storage. During the annual three of six cylinders were replaced, magnetos were inspected and timed, sparkplugs were cleaned and tested. Additionally the entire fuel system had been drained, sump cleaned, and new fuel put into the tanks. The aircraft was test run extensively on the ground with no issues noted. The pilot elected to test fly the aircraft in the pattern around the departure airport for 30 minutes prior to flying towards marshal.

Approximately 40 minutes into the flight the engine began to lose power. The pilot states he started and completed checklist and troubleshooting procedures but, the engine continued to lose power. At this time the pilot notified ATC of the situation and stated he would make a precautionary landing in an open hay field. Following landing, the pilot called ATC and stated he was safe and the aircraft undamaged.

Shortly after landing the pilot?s mechanic arrived on site to inspect the aircraft. All fuel was again drained from the aircraft and new fuel added. All engine mechanical items were re-inspected with no deficiencies noted. At this time it was decided to replace the carburetor with a spare unit. The aircraft was again ground run and safely flown out of the field.

As the FAA filed it

ON 10/09/2020 AT 1356 LOCAL TIME A CESSNA 172G, N888H, AIRCRAFT MADE A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING IN A FARM FIELD 12 MILES SOUTH EAST OF MARSHALL, MICHIGAN FOLLOWING A PARTIAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. THE LANDING WAS SUCCESSFUL WITH NO DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT AND NO INJURY TO THE PILOT, WHO WAS THE SOLE OCCUPANT. PRIOR TO LANDING THE PILOT WAS ABLE TO CONTACT AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL AND ADVISE THEM OF THE SITUATION AND AGAIN NOTIFIED THEM BY TELEPHONE ONCE ON THE GROUND.

INTERVIEW WITH THE PILOT REVELED THE AIRCRAFT HAD JUST COME OUT OF AN ANNUAL INSPECTION FOLLOWING 9 YEARS OF STORAGE. DURING THE ANNUAL THREE OF SIX CYLINDERS WERE REPLACED, MAGNETOS WERE INSPECTED AND TIMED, SPARKPLUGS WERE CLEANED AND TESTED. ADDITIONALLY THE ENTIRE FUEL SYSTEM HAD BEEN DRAINED, SUMP CLEANED, AND NEW FUEL PUT INTO THE TANKS. THE AIRCRAFT WAS TEST RUN EXTENSIVELY ON THE GROUND WITH NO ISSUES NOTED. THE PILOT ELECTED TO TEST FLY THE AIRCRAFT IN THE PATTERN AROUND THE DEPARTURE AIRPORT FOR 30 MINUTES PRIOR TO FLYING TOWARDS MARSHAL.

APPROXIMATELY 40 MINUTES INTO THE FLIGHT THE ENGINE BEGAN TO LOSE POWER. THE PILOT STATES HE STARTED AND COMPLETED CHECKLIST AND TROUBLESHOOTING PROCEDURES BUT, THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO LOSE POWER. AT THIS TIME THE PILOT NOTIFIED ATC OF THE SITUATION AND STATED HE WOULD MAKE A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING IN AN OPEN HAY FIELD. FOLLOWING LANDING, THE PILOT CALLED ATC AND STATED HE WAS SAFE AND THE AIRCRAFT UNDAMAGED.

SHORTLY AFTER LANDING THE PILOT?S MECHANIC ARRIVED ON SITE TO INSPECT THE AIRCRAFT. ALL FUEL WAS AGAIN DRAINED FROM THE AIRCRAFT AND NEW FUEL ADDED. ALL ENGINE MECHANICAL ITEMS WERE RE-INSPECTED WITH NO DEFICIENCIES NOTED. AT THIS TIME IT WAS DECIDED TO REPLACE THE CARBURETOR WITH A SPARE UNIT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS AGAIN GROUND RUN AND SAFELY FLOWN OUT OF THE FIELD.