- Date
- May 14, 1994, 06:15 local (11:15 UTC)
- Place
- Plainfield, IL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N7678MCessna 175
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 25, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19940514010919A
- Case key
- 9529
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
fuel contamination (water), and inadequate aircraft preflight inspection.
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 pilot was doing local pattern work practicing touch-and-go landings. The engine quit during climbout after several landings. The pilot made an off-airport forced landing. The airplane nosed-over during landing. The carburetor bowl was found to contain a mixture of fuel and water. Water was also found in the right fuel tank.
Factual narrative
On May 14, 1994, about 0615 central daylight time, a Cessna 175, N7678M, experienced a loss of engine power during takeoff at Clow International Airport, Plainfield, Illinois, and was substantially damaged when it nosed-over during the subsequent forced landing. The solo private pilot was not injured. No flight plan was filed for the personal flight, and visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time.
The pilot stated he was practicing touch-and-go landings. After several takeoffs and landings, he said the engine quit during climbout about 300 feet agl. The engine was examined by a Federal Aviation Administration Inspector. The carburetor bowl was found to contain a mixture of fuel and water. Water was also found in the right fuel tank. This flight was the first time the airplane had been flown since October 1993.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7678M
- Reported as
- Cessna 175
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 55978
- Airframe hours
- 2,721
- Engine
- Continental GO-300-C, 175 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Clemens J. Pavilon
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 1, 1993 · 44 hours before
- Airport
- 1C5 · Clow International
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
- 38
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 171 total · 87 in this make and model · 91 as pilot in command · 1 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 130° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 25,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 52 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- DPA, 17 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.