ERA15LA283

NTSB accident investigation · Cessna 195A · Iuka, MS · July 26, 2015

Accident · Minor injuriesLimited investigationFinal report
Date
July 26, 2015, 15:20 local (20:20 UTC)
Place
Iuka, MS
Injuries
2 minor
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Initial climb
Aircraft
N195APCessna 195A
Defining event
Initial climb: Loss of engine power (total)
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed · report July 11, 2016
Report
Approved by Office Director
NTSB office
Eastern Region Aviation
Parties
FAA
FAA report
20150726014119A
Case key
91632

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

A total loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined because a postaccident examination of the engine and fuel system found no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.

Findings · 1

NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.

Not determinedNot determined › Not determined · Unknown/Not determinedCessna 195B: 1 caseAll aircraft: 2,247 casesProbable cause

Sequence of events

The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.

Analysis

The airline transport pilot reported that he had just departed on a long cross-country flight. He said that the takeoff was normal until the airplane reached an altitude of between about 600 and 800 ft above the ground, at which point he looked at the engine monitor and saw an exhaust gas temperature "drop." The engine then started to run roughly, and the pilot immediately turned the airplane back to the airport. Shortly after, the engine suddenly stopped, and the pilot subsequently made a forced landing to a narrow road adjacent to the airport. During postaccident examinations, no mechanical anomalies were observed with the engine and fuel system that would have precluded normal operation. Although a small amount of water was found in the airframe fuel filter, no evidence of water was found in the fuel lines. The reason for the total loss of engine power could not be determined.

Factual narrative

On July 26, 2015, at 1520 central daylight time, N195AP, a Cessna 195A, sustained substantial damage during a forced landing after a total loss of engine power on takeoff from the Iuka Airport (15M), Iuka, Mississippi. The airline transport pilot and the passenger sustained minor injuries. The airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot. A visual flight rules flight plan was field for the flight that was destined for Mesquite Metro Airport (HQZ), Mesquite, Texas. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal flight conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. The pilot stated that he had landed at 15M and purchased 64 gallons of 100LL fuel. He then departed for Texas. The pilot said the takeoff was normal until he reached an altitude of about 600 to 800-ft above the ground. At that point, he looked down at his engine monitor and saw one of the EGT bars "drop." The pilot said the engine "felt a little rough" and he made an immediate turn back to the airport. Shortly after, the engine suddenly stopped producing power and the pilot made a forced landing to a narrow road adjacent to the airport. The airplane landed hard resulting in substantial damage to both wings, the firewall, and the right horizontal stabilizer. The landing gear and propeller were also damaged. A postaccident examination of the airplane and engine revealed that the right-hand lower engine mount was broken in two places and the engine had pushed up and back causing the starter to be forced back thru the firewall. The fuel supply hose bushing that screwed into the inlet side of the engine driven fuel pump was also fractured at the back of the pump. The fuel pump was removed and the fuel pump drive was undamaged. Continuity was then established to the fuel drive by manual rotation of the propeller. An electric drill was then used to turn the engine driven fuel pump as fuel was poured into the pump. The pump forced fuel out of the pump as designed. The engine driven fuel pump was sent to the National Transportation Safety Board's Materials Lab and the fractured section of the supply hose bushing was examined. The examination revealed the brass bushing failed due to overload stresses and no pre-exisiting anomalies were noted. The fuel servo was not damaged and a sample of fuel was taken from the main fuel supply. The sample was absent of water and debris. Continuity of the fuel selector valve was confirmed thru the left, right and off positions. The electric boost pump was tested and operated normally. The fuel line that would normally run to the inlet side of the engine driven fuel pump was then attached to the fuel servo and all but one of the fuel injector lines were disconnected. When the electric fuel boost pump was turned on, fuel spray was observed coming from each injector. The airframe fuel filter was removed and a small amount of water was observed in the bowl. A visual inspection of the spark plugs found no anomalies. Thedistributor was turned on and the engine was rotated with the starter and spark was observed on several leads. No mechanical discrepancies were observed that would have precluded normal operation of the engine. The pilot held an airline transport pilot rating for airplane single and multi-engine land. He reported a total of 12,000 total flight hours, of which, 1,500 hours were in the accident airplane. The pilot's last Federal Aviation Administration second class medical was issued on July 14, 2014.

Aircraft

Registration
N195AP
Reported as
Cessna 195A
Category
Airplane
Serial number
7684
Built
1951
Engine
Jacobs R755A SERIES, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Personal · Part 91
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Normal
Departed
15M · Iuka, MS
Destination
DAL · Dallas, TX
Airport
15M · Iuka, runway 18, 4,000 × 75 ft, asphalt
Equipment
Auto-pilot

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
45
Injuries
Minor
Certificate
Airline transport
Airplane ratings
Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
Instrument ratings
Airplane
Medical
Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
Last flight review
June 15, 2015
Seat
Left
Restraint
3-point
Flight hours
12,000 total · 1,500 in this make and model · 11,800 as pilot in command · 150 in the last 90 days · 50 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
Variable at 5 knots
Visibility
10 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
None
Temperature
91 °F, dew point 72 °F
Altimeter
29.96 inHg
Observed at
CRX, 1 nm away

Docket · 4

The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 26, 2016, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.6 MB in all.

FAA reports on this event · 1

The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.