- Date
- June 24, 2000, 08:15 local (12:15 UTC)
- Place
- Atlantic Ocean (Atlantic Ocean)
- Injuries
- 4 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N738WDCessna 172N
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 2, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20000624014139A
- Case key
- 49506
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
Loss of engine power for undetermined reasons. A factor was the pilot failed to use carburetor heat during the descent.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
According to the pilot, on the day before the accident, the airplane was fueled with 10 gallons of fuel. He stated that this gave the airplane a total of 25 gallons prior to departing the Grand Bahamas. After takeoff, the pilot climbed to a cruise altitude of 6500 feet. Approximately 42 nautical miles off Freeport, he began an initial descent to 4,500 feet, then 3,500 feet. When the pilot applied throttle following the descent, there was no engine response. The engine remained at idle and the pilot ditched the airplane near a commercial boat. All four occupants were rescued without injuries. The airplane was not recovered, and therefore the engine was not examined. Weather conditions were favorable for the formation of carburetor ice, and carburetor heat was not used during the descent.
Factual narrative
On June 24, 2000, at 0815 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 172N, N738WD, ditched in the Atlantic Ocean 35 miles east of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, following a loss of engine power. The airplane was operated by the pilot under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91 and visual flight rules. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The pilot, a pilot-rated passenger, and two other passengers were not injured and the airplane sank into about 1,000 feet of water and substantial damage is assumed. The flight originated from the Grand Bahamas Islands at 0720.
According to the pilot, on the day before the accident, the airplane was fueled with 10 gallons of fuel. He stated that this gave the airplane a total of 25 gallons prior to departing the Grand Bahamas. After takeoff, the pilot climbed to a cruise altitude of 6500 feet. Approximately 42 nautical miles off Freeport, he began an initial descent to 4,500 feet, then 3,500 feet. When the pilot applied throttle following the descent, there was no engine response. The engine remained at idle and the pilot ditched the airplane near a commercial boat. All four occupants were rescued without injuries. The airplane was not recovered, and therefore the engine was not examined. Weather conditions were favorable for the formation of carburetor ice, and carburetor heat was not used during the descent.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N738WD
- Reported as
- Cessna 172N
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17270287
- Airframe hours
- 9,851
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-H2AD, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Peter V. Skobin
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 12, 2000 · 40 hours before
- Departed
- MYGF · Bahamas, OF
- Destination
- FXE · Ft Lauderdale, FL
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 49
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,350 total · 1,330 in this make and model · 1,337 as pilot in command · 21 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 120° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,600 ft broken
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 73 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- FLL, 35 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.