# NTSB CHI03LA058: Cessna 175, N6663E, Grand Island, NE, January 19, 2003 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: January 19, 2003, 13:42 local (19:42 UTC) - Place: Grand Island, NE - Coordinates: 40.967498, -98.309722 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=40.9675&lon=-98.3097&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report December 30, 2003 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: Federal Aviation Administration - Lincoln FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 56380 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CHI03LA058 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/56380/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=56380 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI03LA058 ## Probable cause The loss of engine power due to fuel contamination and the pilot's inadequate preflight inspection. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Loss of engine power, cruise - fluid,fuel - contamination,water (cause) - fluid,fuel - contamination,other than water (cause) - aircraft preflight - inadequate, pilot in command (cause) - Forced landing, descent - emergency - On ground/water encounter with terrain/water, emergency landing - terrain condition - ground - Gear collapsed, emergency landing ## Analysis While in cruise flight the engine experienced a loss of power and the pilot performed a forced landing on a golf course. During the forced landing the nose gear was bent aft, damaging the firewall. Post accident investigation revealed the fuel was contaminated with water and particulate. ## Factual narrative On January 19, 2003, at 1342 central standard time, a Cessna 175, N6663E, piloted by a private pilot, sustained substantial damage during a forced landing following a loss of engine power near Grand Island, Nebraska. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The flight was operated under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91 without a flight plan. The pilot reported no injuries. The flight departed Central Nebraska Regional Airport (GRI), Grand Island, Nebraska, at 1335 and was en route to Eppley Airfield (OMA), Omaha, Nebraska. According to the pilot's written statement, he departed GRI and climbed to approximately 3,000 feet mean sea level (msl). About eight miles east of GRI the engine experienced a loss of power. The pilot reported he, "applied carb heat, checked fuel selector, tried [right and left] magneto, pumped primer, all with no effect." The pilot stated he performed a forced landing on a golf course, during which the nose gear was bent aft damaging the firewall. An inspector with the Federal Aviation Administration completed an on-scene investigation. The inspector reported fuel samples were taken from the carburetor bowl and both wing tank sumps. The fuel sample taken from the carburetor bowl was void of any color. The fuel samples taken from both wing tanks were a gray color and contaminated with particulate. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N6663E](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N6663E-2006-06-13), registration cancelled 2006-06-13, S/N 56163, built 1959 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Cessna 175 - Registry model: [Cessna 175](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-175) (registry code 2072502) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Continental GO-300 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-go-300-series) (registry code 17024, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 56163 - Airframe hours: 1593 - Engines: Continental GO-300-A 175 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Registered owner: Terry Michael Wilwerding - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, November 12, 2002, 5 hours before - Departed: GRI, Grand Island, NE - Destination: OMA, Omaha, NE ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 50; injuries: none; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; medical: class 3, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; last flight review February 21, 2002; seat: left; flight hours: 414 total, 5 in this make and model, 414 as pilot in command, 8 in the last 90 days, 4 in the last 30 days, 0 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 260° at 13 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 45 °F, dew point 30 °F - Altimeter: 29.84 inHg - Observed at: GRI, 3 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 20030119002669A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20030119002669A), Jan 19, 2003: Cessna 175, Grand Island, NE, Substantial damage. (-23) Aircraft departed (gri) Grand Island, NE at approximately 1330 on 01/19/2003 enroute to (K76) blair, NE. At approximately 3000 feet MSL, the engine lost… ## Docket (2 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 9, 2016, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=56380. 413 KB in all. - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 372 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40445394&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Redacted.PDF - Wreckage Release (item 2, .PDF, 40 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40445395&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Wreckage%20Release-Redacted.PDF 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.