- Date
- November 26, 1995, 12:55 local (16:55 UTC)
- Place
- Lajas, PR
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N3608SCessna 172E
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 19, 1996
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19951126038439A
- Case key
- 3674
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
the student pilot's inadequate preflight inspection which resulted in a loss of power due to water in the fuel.
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 pilot was on a local instructional solo flight when he reported that the engine malfunctioned. A forced landing was made in a ranch field. A fuel examination was performed, and water was found in the fuel strainer and carburetor bowl. Fuel tank samples from the FBO where the airplane was fueled prior to the accident showed no signs of water.
Factual narrative
On November 26, 1995, about 1255 atlantic standard time, a Cessna 172E, N3608S, collided with the ground during a forced landing, at Lajas, Puerto Rico. The airplane was operated by the owner/pilot under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91, and visual flight rules. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. A flight plan was not filed for the solo, instructional flight. There were no injuries to the student pilot, the sole occupant, and the airplane was substantially damaged. Origination of the flight was Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, about 1230, on the same day.
The pilot reported that the engine malfunctioned, for unknown reasons. A forced landing was made in a ranch field, which resulted in substantial damage to the airplane.
During a conversation with the FAA FSDO inspector handling this case, he stated that when he reached the accident site, it was raining. He said they removed the wings after the crash, and drained fuel from the fuel cells. A fuel examination statement recieved from this FAA Inspector indicated approximately three hours of fuel were remaining in the fuel tanks. It also indicated water was found in the fuel strainer and carburetor bowl. A fuel tank sample and records check at the FBO where the airplane was last fueled before the accident showed no presence of water.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3608S
- Reported as
- Cessna 172E
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17250808
- Engine
- Continental O-300-D, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Hector L. Reyes Ortiz
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- MAZ · Mayaguez, PR
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
- 29
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 136 total · 136 in this make and model · 15 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 320° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 88 °F, dew point 73 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MAZ, 12 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 N3608S · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.