- Date
- October 31, 1990, 09:17 local (14:17 UTC)
- Place
- Flint, MI
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 1 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N4325NCessna 195
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 8, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19901031047649A
- Case key
- 14884
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 pilot-in-command's inadequate preflight inspection of the fuel tank system. Factor(s) were: water contamination in the fuel.
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
The airplane had departed for a cross country pleasure flight when, during its initial climb, the engine lost power. Witnesses stated the airplane was between 100 and 200 feet above the ground as it passed by the departure end of the runway. Shortly after passing the witnesses the engine stopped running. The airplane was observed to make a 90 degree left turn, pitch down, level off and then 'drop into the powerlines' according to one of the witnesses. The airplane collided with powerlines located in a railroad switching yard. The airplane remained in contact with these lines as it collided with a telephone pole and small building. Investigation revealed the fuel system was contaminated with water.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4325N
- Reported as
- Cessna 195
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 7084
- Engine
- Jacobs R755-A2, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Ray L. Peters
- Registered owner
- Ray L Peters
- Destination
- SJX · St. James, MI
- Flight plan
- IFR
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
- 68
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 4,672 total · 1,402 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 0° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 3 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 52 °F, dew point -0 °F
- Observed at
- FNT, 1 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.