OpenAirDocs.org

20221226019519I

Incident · No damage
Open the Markdown

FAA incident report · Cessna 172F · Lampasas, TX · December 26, 2022

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

© OpenStreetMap
Date
December 26, 2022 · 17:30 local
Place
Lampasas, TX
Airport
Lampasas
Phase of flight
Landing: Approach
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
No damage
Aircraft
N8354U
Reported as
Cessna 172F
Reported engine
Continental 0-300 series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
379 total379 in this make and model9 in the last 90 days
N8354URegistered now · Cessna 172FS/N 17252254 · Built 1964Airframe modelCessna 172FEngine 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.

While on approach to lzz runway 34 under VFR conditions with clear skies and a slow wind from the north east and temperature at approximately 60 degrees fahrenheit, the pilot observed that he was too high. Pilot performed forward slip with right rudder and left aileron input and began losing altitude. A short time into slip the engine RPM reduced to 700 RPM. Pilot immediately removed aircraft from forward slip and attempted to regain engine power. Engine power never exceeded 700 RPM after initial loss. At this point the pilot was gliding towards runway and landed aircraft in grass approximately 200 feet short of the runway. Once on ground pilot completely shut down aircraft and reviewed cockpit. Upon inspection, the pilot noticed that the fuel selector switch was in left and should have been in both. At this point the pilot suspected the cause of the engine malfunction was fuel selector switch not being in both and attempted to restart the aircraft. Aircraft restarted and engine performed to specifications. The pilot then taxied aircraft back to hangar under its own power. No aircraft damage or injuries reported.

As the FAA filed it

WHILE ON APPROACH TO LZZ RUNWAY 34 UNDER VFR CONDITIONS WITH CLEAR SKIES AND A SLOW WIND FROM THE NORTH EAST AND TEMPERATURE AT APPROXIMATELY 60 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT, THE PILOT OBSERVED THAT HE WAS TOO HIGH. PILOT PERFORMED FORWARD SLIP WITH RIGHT RUDDER AND LEFT AILERON INPUT AND BEGAN LOSING ALTITUDE. A SHORT TIME INTO SLIP THE ENGINE RPM REDUCED TO 700 RPM. PILOT IMMEDIATELY REMOVED AIRCRAFT FROM FORWARD SLIP AND ATTEMPTED TO REGAIN ENGINE POWER. ENGINE POWER NEVER EXCEEDED 700 RPM AFTER INITIAL LOSS. AT THIS POINT THE PILOT WAS GLIDING TOWARDS RUNWAY AND LANDED AIRCRAFT IN GRASS APPROXIMATELY 200 FEET SHORT OF THE RUNWAY. ONCE ON GROUND PILOT COMPLETELY SHUT DOWN AIRCRAFT AND REVIEWED COCKPIT. UPON INSPECTION, THE PILOT NOTICED THAT THE FUEL SELECTOR SWITCH WAS IN LEFT AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN IN BOTH. AT THIS POINT THE PILOT SUSPECTED THE CAUSE OF THE ENGINE MALFUNCTION WAS FUEL SELECTOR SWITCH NOT BEING IN BOTH AND ATTEMPTED TO RESTART THE AIRCRAFT. AIRCRAFT RESTARTED AND ENGINE PERFORMED TO SPECIFICATIONS. THE PILOT THEN TAXIED AIRCRAFT BACK TO HANGAR UNDER ITS OWN POWER. NO AIRCRAFT DAMAGE OR INJURIES REPORTED.