# NTSB BFO95LA022: Cessna 172C, N1620Y, Laurel, MD, December 22, 1994 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: December 22, 1994, 16:30 local (21:30 UTC) - Place: Laurel, MD - Coordinates: 39.089202, -76.849655 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.0892&lon=-76.8497&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: Serious injuries - Injuries: 1 serious - Status: Completed, report August 31, 1995 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB case key (mKey): 9024 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=BFO95LA022 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/9024/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/BFO95LA022 ## Probable cause The pilot's inadequate preflight inspection which failed to detect water-contaminated fuel. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Loss of engine power(total) - nonmechanical, cruise - fluid,fuel - contamination,water (cause) - preflight planning/preparation - inadequate, pilot in command (cause) - fluid,fuel - starvation - Forced landing, descent - emergency - On ground/water collision with object, emergency landing - object - tree(s) ## Analysis DURING THE PREFLIGHT, THE PILOT FOUND THE LEFT WING FUEL CAP OFF. HE STATED HE DRAINED ALL THREE FUEL SUMPS, ROCKED THE WINGS, AND DRAINED THE SUMPS AGAIN. HE STATED THE ENGINE STARTED WITHOUT ANY PROBLEM AND HE TAXIED THE AIRPLANE TO THE FUEL PUMP AND REFUELED THE AIRPLANE. HE STATED THAT AFTER THE REFUELING HE DRAINED THE FUEL SUMPS AGAIN. DURING THE FLIGHT THE ENGINE BEGAN TO LOSE AND THEN REGAIN POWER. THE PILOT DECIDED TO RETURN TO THE DEPARTED AIRPORT AND WHILE EN ROUTE THE ENGINE LOST POWER. THE PILOT MADE A FORCED LANDING AND COLLIDED WITH TREES IN A WOODED AREA SHORT OF THE AIRPORT. POSTACCIDENT EXAMINATION OF THE FUEL SYSTEM REVEALED WATER IN THE FUEL. THE ENGINE WAS STARTED SEVERAL TIMES AND THE ENGINE QUIT EACH TIME. AFTER EACH ENGINE FAILURE, WATER WAS FOUND IN THE CARBURETOR BOWL. ONCE THE WATER WAS DEPLETED FROM THE FUEL SYSTEM, THE ENGINE RAN WITH NO ANOMALIES NOTED. THE PILOT STATED THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS LAST FLOWN ABOUT 7 DAYS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. HE SAID IN THOSE 7 DAYS THERE WAS PRECIPITATION IN THE AREA. THE NIGHT PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT, TEMPERATURES WERE BELOW FREEZING. ## Factual narrative On December 22, 1994, at 1630 eastern standard time, a Cessna 172C, N1620Y, lost engine power while in cruise flight near Laurel, Maryland. The airplane collided with trees during the emergency descent and was destroyed. The pilot, the sole occupant, was seriously injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The local flight departed the Suburban Airport located in Laurel at 1615 and was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. The pilot stated that during the preflight, he found the left fuel cap off. He stated he assumed someone tried to steal some fuel. He said he continued the preflight and visually verified the fuel levels in the fuel tanks. He stated he drained all the fuel sumps, rocked the wings and again drained all the fuel sumps. He stated, "...everything looked normal." The pilot reported he started the engine and taxied the airplane to the fuel pumps, refueled the airplane, and drained the fuel sumps again. The pilot reported that he noticed no airplane anomalies up to the point when the engine started to lose power. He stated while in cruise flight at 1,200 feet mean sea level, the airplane's "...engine lost some RPM and started running rough." He stated he applied heat to the carburetor and the "...engine smoothed out immediately almost too quickly...I decided to head back to Suburban." He said that while en route back to the airport he accomplished emergency procedures to ensure all controls were positioned correctly. The pilot reported that en route to the airport the engine began to "...surge...and then go to idle." He reported, "I trimmed the airplane for best glide, rechecked the fuel selector, magnetos [and] instruments, everything was normal." He stated the engine continued to regain and lose power and the airplane could not sustain flight. The pilot stated, "I knew I wasn't going to make the runway and the woods were the only thing left. I slowed the airplane down as much as possible and aimed for a spot where I wouldn't hit a tree head on." He stated the airplane descended through trees and the fuselage came to rest on the ground. Postaccident investigation of the fuel system revealed water in the fuel. The engine was started and quit numerous times. After each engine run and failure, water was found in the carburetor fuel bowl. After the water was depleted, the engine ran without any anomalies noted. According to the pilot, the airplane was last flown about seven days prior to the accident. He stated that during those seven days there was precipitation in the area. According to the Baltimore-Washington National Weather Service Records, during the night prior to the accident the temperature was below freezing. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N1620Y](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N1620Y-1998-04-01), registration cancelled 1998-04-01, S/N 17249320 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: CESSNA 172C - Registry model: [Cessna 172C](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172c) (registry code 2072408) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 17249320 - Airframe hours: 1283 - Engines: CONTINENTAL O-300-D 145 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Destroyed - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Operator: Claudy, Steven - Registered owner: Claudy, Steven - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, July 15, 1995, 25 hours before ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 38; student; airplane ratings: single-engine land; medical: class 3, valid medical--no waivers/lim.; seat: left; flight hours: 200 total, 78 in this make and model, 7 in the last 90 days, 2 in the last 30 days, 1 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 360° at 5 knots - Visibility: 7 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 25,000 ft broken - Temperature: 48 °F, dew point 34 °F - Altimeter: 30.00 inHg - Observed at: BWI, 15 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 (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 19941222048769A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19941222048769A), Dec 22, 1994: Cessna 172C, Laurel, MD, Destroyed. Rough engine after departing. Turned back. Engine surging. Descended into trees. Water and ice in fuel. From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.