- Date
- March 26, 1999, 15:30 local (21:30 UTC)
- Place
- Florala, AL
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N8968BCessna 172
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 21, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19990326022429A
- Case key
- 46000
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 pilot's inadequate preflight inspection, which resulted in a loss of engine power due to fuel system contamination with water.
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, the airplane had been parked on the ramp for several days, and it had rained the day before the accident. During the preflight inspection the pilot stated he had taken fuel samples from both fuel tanks and found no water or other contamination. After the preflight examination, the flight departed on runway 04. The pilot turned downwind, and had started a turn to left base when the engine lost power and sputtered. The pilot activated the carburetor heat and switched fuel tanks before returning the fuel selector to both. The engine continued to sputter. While attempting to return to runway 04, the airplane collided with trees approximately 50 feet south of the airport. Examination of the airplane disclosed the presence of water in the fuel tanks.
Factual narrative
On March 26, 1999, about 1530 central standard time, a Cessna 172, N8968B, collided with trees while maneuvering for an emergency landing at Florala Municipal Airport, in Florala, Alabama. The airplane was operated by the private pilot under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91, and visual flight rules. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the accident site and no flight plan was filed. The pilot received minor injuries and the airplane sustained substantial damage. The personal flight originated from Florala, Alabama at 1527.
According to the pilot, the airplane had been parked on the ramp for several days, and it had rained the day before the accident. During the preflight inspection the pilot stated he had taken fuel samples from both fuel tanks and found no water or other contamination. After the preflight examination, the flight departed on runway 04. The pilot turned downwind, and had started a turn to left base when the engine lost power and sputtered. The pilot activated the carburetor heat and switched fuel tanks before returning the fuel selector to both. The engine continued to sputter. While attempting to return to runway 04, the airplane collided with trees approximately 50 feet south of the airport.
Examination of the airplane disclosed that a quantity of water was in the fuel tanks. The pilot did not report or experience a loss of engine power until he started a left descending turn for the base leg of the traffic pattern.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8968B
- Reported as
- Cessna 172
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 36668
- Airframe hours
- 4,500
- Engine
- Continental O-300-A, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Thomas David King
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 15, 1999 · 2 hours before
- Departed
- 0J4 · AL
- Destination
- 2R4 · Milton, FL
- Airport
- OJ4 · Florala Municipal, runway 4, 3,188 × 72 ft, asphalt
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
- 48
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 4,526 total · 1,041 in this make and model · 4,526 as pilot in command · 36 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 20° at 10 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 23 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- CEW, 6 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.