CEN22LA194

The pilot receiving instruction was on a visual approach to the runway during an instructional flight, at which time the engine lost total power. The flight instructor took control of the airplane and made multiple attempts to restart the engine, which were unsuccessful. The flight instructor declared an emergency and executed a forced landing to a park area about 1 mile north of the runway. During the forced landing, the airplane impacted terrain and a perimeter fence. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed substantial damage to the right wing and engine mount. Examination of the engine and fuel system revealed a loose “B” nut fitting on the fuel line between the fuel injector and fuel manifold. The engine had recently been installed by maintenance personnel; the airplane had flown about 2.7 hours after the installation and before the accident. There was no visible impact damage to the “B” nut on the line or the fitting. Given this evidence, the “B” nut on the fuel line was likely not properly tightened during engine installation, which allowed the nut to loosen with normal engine vibration and allowed air to enter the system which resulted in total loss of engine power.

On May 10, 2022, about 1726 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 172S airplane, N184NW, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Cherry Capital Airport (TVC), Traverse City, Michigan. The flight instructor and the pilot receiving instruction were not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 instructional flight. According to Northwestern Michigan College (NMC) representatives, the pilot receiving instruction was operating the airplane as part of the college flight school program. When the flight was on a visual approach to runway 18 at TVC the engine lost total power. The flight instructor took control of the flight and made multiple attempts to restart the engine, which were unsuccessful. The flight instructor declared an emergency and executed a forced landing to a park area about 1 mile north of the runway. During the forced landing, the airplane impacted terrain and a perimeter fence. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed substantial damage to the right wing and engine mount. Examination of the engine and fuel system revealed a loose “B” nut fitting on the fuel line between the fuel injector and fuel manifold (see the figure below). There was no visible impact damage to the “B” nut or the fitting. Figure. Loose “B” nut with fuel leaking from the fuel line (Source: Federal Aviation Administration). NMC representatives stated that the airplane had flown for about 2.7 hours since the time that the engine was installed by NMC maintenance personnel.