What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On January 17, 2021, at approximately 12:02 pm local time, a Cessna cardinal rg 177RG (C77R), registration number N919DC, experienced engine problems and was heard making mayday call on guard frequency. ATC quickly determined the aircraft position. Aircraft dropped from radar coverage approximately 17 miles se of sav, and ELT began to transmit. Bryan county sheriff office conducted a search, rescue operation and located the aircraft with the PIC. The PIC had minor injuries. privacy data omittedOperated under 14 code of federal regulations part 91.
N919DC departed page field, fort meyers, FL (fmy) at approximately 09:23 am local time for saluda, Virginia. PIC stated while cruising at 5500 feet at 1200 hours, the engine just stopped. PIC informed ATC, was able to get the engine restarted only to have it quit again. Aircraft went down in an open field and the left elevator made contact with some wood debris, bending it back 45 degrees from the fuselage and one section liberating from the aircraft. Aircraft skidded approximately 120 feet (gear up) before coming to a stop. The propeller had one blade bent back 80 degrees, and the other blade was not damaged.
A review of partial copies of the aircraft maintenance logbooks revealed that the most recent annual inspection was completed on 10/28/2020 at a tach time of 2249.2. The most recent engine field overhaul was completed on 08/30/2016. The engine was installed on the accident aircraft on 09/20/2016 at a tach time of 1992.2. The engine has accumulated 252.8 hours of operating time in service at the time of the accident.
A engine teardown inspection was conducted. The engine crankshaft was rotated by turning the propeller, and continuity of the crankshaft to the rear gears and the valve train confirmed. Normal valve action was observed from the intake and exhaust valves of all four cylinders. Compression and suction were observed from all four cylinders. The magneto drive was rotated by turning the engine propeller, and a spark was observed from all eight spark plug leads.
The fuel injector servo remained attached to the engine, and no damage was reported. The throttle control cable remained attached to the servo throttle control arm, and the arm was positioned at the idle stop. The cockpit throttle control knob was set aft fully. The mixture control cable remained attached to the servo mixture control arm, and the arm was positioned at the ico (idle cut off) stop. The cockpit mixture control knob was set aft fully. The servo was removed from the engine and partially disassembled. About one tablespoon of liquid (fuel) with an odor consistent with aviation gasoline drained from the servo when it was tilted. The servo regulator section brass plug was secure. No damage was noted to the rubber diaphragms or other internal components. The servo fuel inlet screen was absent of debris.
Fuel level was verified on-site, the right tank was full to the top, and the left tank seemed empty. PIC stated the aircraft was topped off fuel at 60 gallons before the aircraft left. The aircraft operated 2.7 hours at approximately 10 gallons per hour. FBO at kfmy reported the aircraft received 34.8 gallons of avgas on Thursday, January 7, 2021, at 10:37 am. Aircraft arrived at kfmy on Wednesday, January 6, 2017, at 1:53 pm from walterboro, SC. Aircraft departed kfmy on Sunday, January 17, 2021. The salvage crew reported that the left-wing tank at the accident site was dry, and the right-wing tank had a full tank. The salvage crew drained the right tank. The fuel selector valve was in both positions at the accident site. The fuel selector valve was visually inspected, and no damage was found. Inspected left fuel reservoir tank and found it bone dry, and the right fuel reservoir tank was full. The fuel reservoir drain lever was in the closed position.
As the FAA filed it
ON JANUARY 17, 2021, AT APPROXIMATELY 12:02 PM LOCAL TIME, A CESSNA CARDINAL RG 177RG (C77R), REGISTRATION NUMBER N919DC, EXPERIENCED ENGINE PROBLEMS AND WAS HEARD MAKING MAYDAY CALL ON GUARD FREQUENCY. ATC QUICKLY DETERMINED THE AIRCRAFT POSITION. AIRCRAFT DROPPED FROM RADAR COVERAGE APPROXIMATELY 17 MILES SE OF SAV, AND ELT BEGAN TO TRANSMIT. BRYAN COUNTY SHERIFF OFFICE CONDUCTED A SEARCH, RESCUE OPERATION AND LOCATED THE AIRCRAFT WITH THE PIC. THE PIC HAD MINOR INJURIES. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^OPERATED UNDER 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91.
N919DC DEPARTED PAGE FIELD, FORT MEYERS, FL (FMY) AT APPROXIMATELY 09:23 AM LOCAL TIME FOR SALUDA, VIRGINIA. PIC STATED WHILE CRUISING AT 5500 FEET AT 1200 HOURS, THE ENGINE JUST STOPPED. PIC INFORMED ATC, WAS ABLE TO GET THE ENGINE RESTARTED ONLY TO HAVE IT QUIT AGAIN. AIRCRAFT WENT DOWN IN AN OPEN FIELD AND THE LEFT ELEVATOR MADE CONTACT WITH SOME WOOD DEBRIS, BENDING IT BACK 45 DEGREES FROM THE FUSELAGE AND ONE SECTION LIBERATING FROM THE AIRCRAFT. AIRCRAFT SKIDDED APPROXIMATELY 120 FEET (GEAR UP) BEFORE COMING TO A STOP. THE PROPELLER HAD ONE BLADE BENT BACK 80 DEGREES, AND THE OTHER BLADE WAS NOT DAMAGED.
A REVIEW OF PARTIAL COPIES OF THE AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE LOGBOOKS REVEALED THAT THE MOST RECENT ANNUAL INSPECTION WAS COMPLETED ON 10/28/2020 AT A TACH TIME OF 2249.2. THE MOST RECENT ENGINE FIELD OVERHAUL WAS COMPLETED ON 08/30/2016. THE ENGINE WAS INSTALLED ON THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT ON 09/20/2016 AT A TACH TIME OF 1992.2. THE ENGINE HAS ACCUMULATED 252.8 HOURS OF OPERATING TIME IN SERVICE AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT.
A ENGINE TEARDOWN INSPECTION WAS CONDUCTED. THE ENGINE CRANKSHAFT WAS ROTATED BY TURNING THE PROPELLER, AND CONTINUITY OF THE CRANKSHAFT TO THE REAR GEARS AND THE VALVE TRAIN CONFIRMED. NORMAL VALVE ACTION WAS OBSERVED FROM THE INTAKE AND EXHAUST VALVES OF ALL FOUR CYLINDERS. COMPRESSION AND SUCTION WERE OBSERVED FROM ALL FOUR CYLINDERS. THE MAGNETO DRIVE WAS ROTATED BY TURNING THE ENGINE PROPELLER, AND A SPARK WAS OBSERVED FROM ALL EIGHT SPARK PLUG LEADS.
THE FUEL INJECTOR SERVO REMAINED ATTACHED TO THE ENGINE, AND NO DAMAGE WAS REPORTED. THE THROTTLE CONTROL CABLE REMAINED ATTACHED TO THE SERVO THROTTLE CONTROL ARM, AND THE ARM WAS POSITIONED AT THE IDLE STOP. THE COCKPIT THROTTLE CONTROL KNOB WAS SET AFT FULLY. THE MIXTURE CONTROL CABLE REMAINED ATTACHED TO THE SERVO MIXTURE CONTROL ARM, AND THE ARM WAS POSITIONED AT THE ICO (IDLE CUT OFF) STOP. THE COCKPIT MIXTURE CONTROL KNOB WAS SET AFT FULLY. THE SERVO WAS REMOVED FROM THE ENGINE AND PARTIALLY DISASSEMBLED. ABOUT ONE TABLESPOON OF LIQUID (FUEL) WITH AN ODOR CONSISTENT WITH AVIATION GASOLINE DRAINED FROM THE SERVO WHEN IT WAS TILTED. THE SERVO REGULATOR SECTION BRASS PLUG WAS SECURE. NO DAMAGE WAS NOTED TO THE RUBBER DIAPHRAGMS OR OTHER INTERNAL COMPONENTS. THE SERVO FUEL INLET SCREEN WAS ABSENT OF DEBRIS.
FUEL LEVEL WAS VERIFIED ON-SITE, THE RIGHT TANK WAS FULL TO THE TOP, AND THE LEFT TANK SEEMED EMPTY. PIC STATED THE AIRCRAFT WAS TOPPED OFF FUEL AT 60 GALLONS BEFORE THE AIRCRAFT LEFT. THE AIRCRAFT OPERATED 2.7 HOURS AT APPROXIMATELY 10 GALLONS PER HOUR. FBO AT KFMY REPORTED THE AIRCRAFT RECEIVED 34.8 GALLONS OF AVGAS ON THURSDAY, JANUARY 7, 2021, AT 10:37 AM. AIRCRAFT ARRIVED AT KFMY ON WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 6, 2017, AT 1:53 PM FROM WALTERBORO, SC. AIRCRAFT DEPARTED KFMY ON SUNDAY, JANUARY 17, 2021. THE SALVAGE CREW REPORTED THAT THE LEFT-WING TANK AT THE ACCIDENT SITE WAS DRY, AND THE RIGHT-WING TANK HAD A FULL TANK. THE SALVAGE CREW DRAINED THE RIGHT TANK.THE FUEL SELECTOR VALVE WAS IN BOTH POSITIONS AT THE ACCIDENT SITE. THE FUEL SELECTOR VALVE WAS VISUALLY INSPECTED, AND NO DAMAGE WAS FOUND. INSPECTED LEFT FUEL RESERVOIR TANK AND FOUND IT BONE DRY, AND THE RIGHT FUEL RESERVOIR TANK WAS FULL. THE FUEL RESERVOIR DRAIN LEVER WAS IN THE CLOSED POSITION.
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 N919DC · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.