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20230731013079I

Incident · No damage
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FAA incident report · Cessna 172F · Beaufort, SC · July 31, 2023

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
July 31, 2023 · 23:08 local
Place
Beaufort, SC
Airport
Beaufort Exec
Phase of flight
Landing: Approach
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
No damage
Aircraft
N8392U
Reported as
Cessna 172F
Reported engine
Continental 0-300 series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificates
Commercial pilot, flight instructor, private pilot, student
Pilot’s flight hours
315 total6 in this make and model76 in the last 90 days
N8392URegistered now · Cessna 172FS/N 17252292 · 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.

Inforation based on pilots statement; coming in to land at karw (Beaufort executive) at around 11:30PM local switched from approach to advisory frequency at around 2500FT 3-4 mile straight in runway 7. Student begins normal landing preparation. Around 2 mile final complains of loss of power I take control and have 1200FT to the ground. I immediately switch back to approach and advise while pitching for best glide and looking for possible landing spots. I then recycle the engine add carb heat and cycle fuel tank. After 3 unsuccessful attempts engine completely stops prop stops spinning 800FT. I now inform ATC I will not make it to the runway and decide to put it on lady’s island drive as there were no visible feilds within range. Soft landing on the road with no damage or injuries. Both me and the student now shut down the plane and get out. We check fuel and for anything that could have caused the problem. We found the left fuel tank to be empty and the right to be almost full, even though we were using both tanks the entire time. Police and fire fighters arrive to find us okay just a little shaken up.

We give our information and report of what happened then we’re allowed to leave after tow owner arrived.

As the FAA filed it

INFORATION BASED ON PILOTS STATEMENT; COMING IN TO LAND AT KARW (BEAUFORT EXECUTIVE) AT AROUND 11:30PM LOCAL SWITCHED FROM APPROACH TO ADVISORY FREQUENCY AT AROUND 2500FT 3-4 MILE STRAIGHT IN RUNWAY 7. STUDENT BEGINS NORMAL LANDING PREPARATION. AROUND 2 MILE FINAL COMPLAINS OF LOSS OF POWER I TAKE CONTROL AND HAVE 1200FT TO THE GROUND. I IMMEDIATELY SWITCH BACK TO APPROACH AND ADVISE WHILE PITCHING FOR BEST GLIDE AND LOOKING FOR POSSIBLE LANDING SPOTS. I THEN RECYCLE THE ENGINE ADD CARB HEAT AND CYCLE FUEL TANK. AFTER 3 UNSUCCESSFUL ATTEMPTS ENGINE COMPLETELY STOPS PROP STOPS SPINNING 800FT. I NOW INFORM ATC I WILL NOT MAKE IT TO THE RUNWAY AND DECIDE TO PUT IT ON LADY’S ISLAND DRIVE AS THERE WERE NO VISIBLE FEILDS WITHIN RANGE. SOFT LANDING ON THE ROAD WITH NO DAMAGE OR INJURIES. BOTH ME AND THE STUDENT NOW SHUT DOWN THE PLANE AND GET OUT. WE CHECK FUEL AND FOR ANYTHING THAT COULD HAVE CAUSED THE PROBLEM. WE FOUND THE LEFT FUEL TANK TO BE EMPTY AND THE RIGHT TO BE ALMOST FULL, EVEN THOUGH WE WERE USING BOTH TANKS THE ENTIRE TIME. POLICE AND FIRE FIGHTERS ARRIVE TO FIND US OKAY JUST A LITTLE SHAKEN UP.

WE GIVE OUR INFORMATION AND REPORT OF WHAT HAPPENED THEN WE’RE ALLOWED TO LEAVE AFTER TOW OWNER ARRIVED.