- Date
- May 8, 2009, 13:00 local (18:00 UTC)
- Place
- Roanoke, TX
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N172SVCessna 172N
- Defining event
- Initial climb: Loss of engine power (partial)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 9, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20090508010289A
- Case key
- 73689
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 partial loss of engine power due to a failure of the throttle control rod-end to carburetor arm hardware. A contributing factor was the pilot's decision to fly the airplane without a current annual inspection.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
During initial climb, the airplane's single engine experienced a partial loss of power. Unable to maintain altitude, the pilot performed an emergency landing to a field. During the landing rollout, the airplane impacted a rock and the nose landing gear collapsed, damaging the firewall. The airplane came to rest in a nose-down position and the pilot was able to exit unassisted. Following the accident, an examination of the airplane revealed that the throttle control rod-end to carburetor throttle arm hardware was missing. In addition, the airplane had not been inspected in accordance with an annual inspection during the previous year.
Factual narrative
During initial climb, the airplane's single engine experienced a partial loss of power. Unable to maintain altitude the pilot performed an emergency landing to a field. During the landing rollout, the airplane impacted a rock and the nose landing gear collapsed. The airplane came to rest in a nose down position and the pilot was able to exit unassisted. Following the accident, an examination of the airplane revealed that the firewall had sustained structural damage, and the throttle control rod-end to carburetor throttle arm hardware was missing. In addition, the airplane had not been inspected in accordance with an annual inspection during the previous year.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N172SV
- Reported as
- Cessna 172N
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17273664
- Airframe hours
- 11,100
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-H2AD, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- 52F · Roanoke, TX
- Destination
- T67 · Fort Worth, TX
- Airport
- 52F · Northwest Regional, runway 17, 3,500 × 40 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
- 46
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- November 13, 2008
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 434 total · 295 in this make and model · 340 as pilot in command · 5 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 170° at 30 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 25, 2009, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 557 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.