- Date
- August 28, 1988, 13:00 local (17:00 UTC)
- Place
- Gregory, MI
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N5166GCessna 305A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 16, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19880828038089A
- Case key
- 13850
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
Failure (at first partial, then total) of the aircraft's powerplant at an altitude of about 100 feet above the ground during the initial climbout with a glider in tow; a forced landing ensued, during which the aircraft struck a fence, a small tree, and impacted the ground. The glider released and landed without incident.
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
As the aircraft climbed through an altitude of about 100 feet above the ground with a glider in tow, the engine began to run rough, and then failed completely. The pilot executed a forced landing in a grassy, rolling field, striking a fence and small tree before impacting the ground. The glider released and landed without incident. Post-accident examination of the powerplant, it's systems and accessories revealed no evidence of pre-impact mechanical malfunction/difficulty. The engine performed satisfactorily during a subsequent run-up. Investigators drained 7.5 gallons of 80/87 octane aviation fuel from each of two fuel tanks; the aircraft has a 'no takeoff' value of 6.75 gallons or less. This value was established because of the positioning of the fuel tank outlets and the resultant possibility of fuel flow interruption in various flight attitudes.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5166G
- Reported as
- Cessna 305A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 22285
- Airframe hours
- 8,877
- Engine
- Continental O-470-11B, 190 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 91
- Registered owner
- Sandhill Soaring Club, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 1, 1988 · 142 hours before
- Departed
- 69G · Gregory, MI
- Destination
- 69G · Gregory, MI
- Airport
- 69G · Richmond, runway 18, 2,500 × 100 ft, grass/turf
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 68
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 2,970 total · 26 in this make and model · 2,761 as pilot in command · 45 in the last 90 days · 16 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 290° at 5 knots, gusting 10
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.