- Date
- May 18, 1990, 16:30 local (20:30 UTC)
- Place
- Woodstock, GA
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N201FMCessna 305A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 15, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900518016679A
- Case key
- 8239
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
An inadequate preflight.
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
The aircraft was on final approach to land when the engine quit. The pilot attempted a restart but was unsuccessful. After clearing some power lines, the airplane collided with trees about 900 feet short of the runway. Examination of the engine after the flight revealed that all top spark plugs were very clean. The number 6 cylinder was removed and inspected. The combustion chamber, piston, and exhaust were also very clean. Some remaining carbon on the piston head was very loose. The gascolator bowl was removed and water was observed inside the bowl. The engine was test run up to 2000 RPM with no problems observed.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N201FM
- Reported as
- Cessna 305A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 22488
- Airframe hours
- 9,449
- Engine
- Continental O470-11B, 213 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Nevin G. Summers
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 7, 1990 · 19 hours before
- Departed
- ATH · Athens, GA
- Airport
- 5GA4 · Air Acres, runway 36, 2,000 × 75 ft
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
- 28
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 172 total · 76 in this make and model · 120 as pilot in command · 14 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 330° at 11 knots
- Visibility
- 25 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ATL, 29 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.
Other investigations on N201FM · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.