# NTSB ERA15CA256: Cessna 170, N4027V, Raymond, MS, June 30, 2015 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report - Date: June 30, 2015, 14:45 local (19:45 UTC) - Place: Raymond, MS - Coordinates: 32.304443, -90.410552 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=32.3044&lon=-90.4106&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Approach](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/500) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Approach-VFR pattern final: Fuel contamination](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/193) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 3 uninjured - Status: Completed, report August 11, 2015 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Eastern Region Aviation - Parties: FAA/FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 91471 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ERA15CA256 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/91471/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=91471 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA15CA256 ## Probable cause The flight instructor's inadequate preflight inspection of the fuel system resulting in a total loss of engine power due to fuel contamination. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Fluids: fuel](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010): Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware · Fluid condition (probable cause); cases with it: [Cessna 170, 4 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010/cases.md?model=2072302), [All aircraft, 1,695 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010/cases.md) - [Inspection: preflight inspection](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061510): Personnel issues › Task performance · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Cessna 170, 4 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061510/cases.md?model=2072302), [All aircraft, 551 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061510/cases.md) - [Aircraft](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01050000): Aircraft › Aircraft power plant · Failure (probable cause); cases with it: [Cessna 170, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01050000/cases.md?model=2072302), [All aircraft, 151 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01050000/cases.md) - [Fuel system: fuel storage](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01022810): Aircraft › Aircraft systems · Damaged/degraded (probable cause); cases with it: [Cessna 170, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01022810/cases.md?model=2072302), [All aircraft, 60 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01022810/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Prior to flight: Aircraft inspection event](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/050); cases with it: [Cessna 170, 2 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/050/sequence.md?model=2072302), [All aircraft, 229 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/050/sequence.md) - [Approach-VFR pattern final: Fuel contamination](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/193) (defining event); cases with it: [Cessna 170, 4 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/193/sequence.md?model=2072302), [All aircraft, 225 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/193/sequence.md) - [Emergency descent: Off-field or emergency landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440); cases with it: [Cessna 170, 7 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440/sequence.md?model=2072302), [All aircraft, 3,365 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440/sequence.md) - [Landing-landing roll: Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT) ](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470); cases with it: [Cessna 170, 15 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md?model=2072302), [All aircraft, 10,189 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md) ## Analysis The flight instructor was giving two student pilots their first flight lesson. After 20 minutes of taxi instruction, they departed the airport and flew for 20 minutes. While returning to the airport on final approach, the flight instructor advanced the power because the airplane was low on the approach path and discovered the engine had lost all power. The airplane was beyond gliding distance to the runway so the flight instructor made a 20 degree right turn and landed on a road located a quarter of a mile short of, and just to the right of, the extended runway center line. The flight instructor had to cross a high fence to make the road. The airplane cleared the fence but subsequently stalled about 10 to 15 feet above the road. The pilot made a hard landing on the road but, the road curved to the right and he was unable to keep the airplane on the centerline. The airplane then went off the left side, struck a log, and the left wing tip made contact with a fence post. It then ground looped and came to rest. Examination of the airplane revealed the left wing was substantially damaged, a large quantity of water was present in the right wing tank, and the fuel separator was full of water. Further examination revealed the right wing tank recessed type fuel cap seal had been leaking, and the airplane had been outside for several days in the rain. During preflight, the flight instructor drained all the sumps but did not notice the clear "fluid" that he drained from the right wing tank sump was all water. This was his first flight in the airplane and the preflight was conducted in light drizzle during a rain shower. The flight instructor advised that he did not remove or examine the fuel caps during the preflight as he did not want the water that had pooled in the cap recesses to get into the tanks. He did notice that the "fluid" from the right wing was not the proper color but attributed this to automobile gasoline that had been used in the airplane previously, as it had the odor of automobile gasoline. ## Factual narrative The flight instructor was giving two student pilots their first flight lesson. After 20 minutes of taxi instruction, they departed the airport and flew for 20 minutes. While returning to the airport on final approach, the flight instructor advanced the power because the airplane was low on the approach path and discovered the engine had lost all power. The airplane was beyond gliding distance to the runway so the flight instructor made a 20 degree right turn and landed on a road located a quarter of a mile short of, and just to the right of, the extended runway center line. The flight instructor had to cross a high fence to make the road. The airplane cleared the fence but subsequently stalled about 10 to 15 feet above the road. The pilot made a hard landing on the road but, the road curved to the right and he was unable to keep the airplane on the centerline. The airplane then went off the left side, struck a log, and the left wing tip made contact with a fence post. It then ground looped and came to rest. Examination of the airplane revealed the left wing was substantially damaged, a large quantity of water was present in the right wing tank, and the fuel separator was full of water. Further examination revealed the right wing tank recessed type fuel cap seal had been leaking, and the airplane had been outside for several days in the rain. During preflight, the flight instructor drained all the sumps but did not notice the clear "fluid" that he drained from the right wing tank sump was all water. This was his first flight in the airplane and the preflight was conducted in light drizzle during a rain shower. The flight instructor advised that he did not remove or examine the fuel caps during the preflight as he did not want the water that had pooled in the cap recesses to get into the tanks. He did notice that the "fluid" from the right wing was not the proper color but attributed this to automobile gasoline that had been used in the airplane previously, as it had the odor of automobile gasoline. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N4027V](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N4027V-2019-01-16), registration cancelled 2019-01-16, S/N 18346, built 1948 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: CESSNA 170 - Registry model: [Cessna 170](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-170) (registry code 2072302) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Continental C145 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-c145-series) (registry code 17012, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 18346 - Year built: 1948 - Airframe hours: 3906.51 - Engines: CONT MOTOR C-145-2 145 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, February 8, 2015 - Departed: JVW, Raymond, MS - Destination: JVW, Raymond, MS - Airport: JVW, John Bell Williams Airport, runway 12, 5,499 × 100 ft, asphalt - Equipment: Stall warning system ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 58; injuries: none; airline transport, commercial, flight instructor; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 2, with waivers/limitations; last flight review June 30, 2014; seat: right; restraint: 4-point; flight hours: 10,670 total, 20 in this make and model, 10,511 as pilot in command, 123 in the last 90 days, 58 in the last 30 days, 4 in the last 24 hours - Student pilot; age 22; injuries: none; seat: left; restraint: 4-point; flight hours: 1 total, 1 in this make and model ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 200° at 7 knots, gusting 15 - Visibility: 6 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 88 °F, dew point 82 °F - Altimeter: 29.98 inHg - Observed at: JVW ## 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 20150630013169A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20150630013169A), Jun 30, 2015: Cessna 170, Bolton, MS, Substantial damage. As stated by the pilot the aircraft was on approach and the engine quit in flight. The pilot landed the aircraft on a road. During the landing the left wing… ## Docket (10 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 31, 2015, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=91471. 12.9 MB in all. - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 951 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40430184&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Redacted.PDF - Witness Statements and Interview Summaries (item 2, .PDF, 233 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40430185&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Witness%20Statements%20and%20Interview%20Summaries-Redacted.PDF - Weather Reports and Records – KJVW METARs (item 3, .PDF, 207 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40430186&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Weather%20Reports%20and%20Records%20%E2%80%93%20KJVW%20METARs-Master.PDF - Photo 1 – Right Forward View (item 4, .PDF, 2.2 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40430187&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%201%20%E2%80%93%20Right%20Forward%20View-Master.PDF - Photo 2 – Right Wing Tip (item 5, .PDF, 1.5 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40430188&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%202%20%E2%80%93%20Right%20Wing%20Tip-Master.PDF - Photo 3 – Left Wing Tip (item 6, .PDF, 2.3 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40430189&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%203%20%E2%80%93%20Left%20Wing%20Tip-Master.PDF - Photo 4 – Left Wing Root (item 7, .PDF, 1.3 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40430190&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%204%20%E2%80%93%20Left%20Wing%20Root-Master.PDF - Photo 5 - Sample from Left Wing Tank (item 8, .PDF, 1.3 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40430191&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%205%20-%20Sample%20from%20Left%20Wing%20Tank-Master.PDF - Photo 6 - Sample from Right Wing Tank (item 9, .PDF, 1.6 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40430192&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%206%20-%20Sample%20from%20Right%20Wing%20Tank-Master.PDF - Photo 7 – Sample from Fuel Separator (item 10, .PDF, 1.4 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40430193&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%207%20%E2%80%93%20Sample%20from%20Fuel%20Separator-Master.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.