# NTSB ERA17LA254: Cessna 152, N714UY, Tamarac, FL, July 20, 2017 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: July 20, 2017, 19:50 local (23:50 UTC) - Place: Tamarac, FL - Coordinates: 26.228332, -80.308609 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=26.2283&lon=-80.3086&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Maneuvering](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/450) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Maneuvering: Fuel contamination](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/193) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 2 uninjured - Status: Completed, report February 11, 2020 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Eastern Region Aviation - Parties: FAA/FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 95633 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ERA17LA254 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/95633/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=95633 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA17LA254 ## Probable cause The flight instructor's failure to ensure that the airplane's fuel system was free of water contamination before departing, which resulted in a total loss of engine power and subsequent forced landing. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Object/animal/substance: water/moisture](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03022057): Environmental issues › Physical environment · Effect on operation (probable cause); cases with it: [Cessna 152, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03022057/cases.md?model=2071835), [All aircraft, 10 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03022057/cases.md) - [Inspection: preflight inspection](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061510): Personnel issues › Task performance · Instructor/check pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Cessna 152, 14 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061510/cases.md?model=2071835), [All aircraft, 551 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061510/cases.md) - [Fluids: fuel](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010): Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware · Fluid condition (probable cause); cases with it: [Cessna 152, 26 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010/cases.md?model=2071835), [All aircraft, 1,695 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010/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 152, 4 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/050/sequence.md?model=2071835), [All aircraft, 229 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/050/sequence.md) - [Maneuvering: Fuel contamination](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/193) (defining event); cases with it: [Cessna 152, 11 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/193/sequence.md?model=2071835), [All aircraft, 225 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/193/sequence.md) - [Landing: Off-field or emergency landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440); cases with it: [Cessna 152, 35 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440/sequence.md?model=2071835), [All aircraft, 3,365 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440/sequence.md) - [Landing: Nose over/nose down](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/096); cases with it: [Cessna 152, 37 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/096/sequence.md?model=2071835), [All aircraft, 2,287 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/096/sequence.md) ## Analysis According to the flight instructor, the student pilot performed a preflight inspection of the airplane before their training flight, and she observed him sample fuel from the left fuel tank four times to get water out of the tank. After the last sample, she observed no water. She did not observe fuel from the right fuel tank being sampled; however, the student pilot told her there was "a little water" in the right tank. She then performed her own preflight inspection and found no anomalies. They departed with the student pilot flying. During the first steep turn to the right, the engine lost total power; the student pilot leveled the wings, and engine power was restored. The flight instructor decided to return to the airport immediately. During the return flight, the engine lost total power again. The flight instructor performed a forced landing to a levy, during which the airplane flipped over and sustained substantial damage. Postaccident fuel samples taken from the lower fuselage drain and gascolator were contaminated with significant amounts of water. It is likely that this water contamination in the fuel resulted in the total loss of engine power. ## Factual narrative On July 20, 2017, about 1950 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 152, N714UY, was substantially damaged during a forced landing near Tamarac, Florida. The flight instructor and a student pilot were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the local, instructional flight. The airplane was owned by Stone to Glass LLC, and operated by Airplanes 4 Rent, under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.According to the flight instructor, she planned to take the student pilot flying for his last dual instruction flight before his first solo flight. The student pilot performed the preflight inspection of the airplane and she observed him as he "sump[ed]" the left fuel tank four times to get all the water out of the tank. After the last sample, she observed no water. She did not observe the right fuel tank being sumped, however, she asked the student pilot what he found and he stated there was "a little water" in the right tank. She then performed her own preflight inspection and found no anomalies. The student pilot taxied to runway 9, performed the engine run-up, with no anomalies noted, and departed. They stayed in the traffic pattern to perform three touch-and-go landings. Afterwards, they departed the controlled airspace and flew to a practice area about 15 miles away. She asked the student pilot to perform some clearing turns, which he did, then she asked him to perform a steep turn to the right. During the steep turn, the engine lost total power, the student leveled the wings and the engine power was restored. The flight instructor then decided to return to the airport immediately and land. The engine produced full power while on the return flight, until they were about 10 miles from the airport when the engine again lost total power and the pilots realized they could not make it back to the airport. The flight instructor looked for a place to land and noticed a levy with a small access road on top. She also noticed that both sides of the levy sloped downwards. She landed the airplane on the levy, it then veered to the left down the slope, struck foliage, and flipped over. She quickly turned off the master switch and magnetos, and both the flight instructor and student pilot egressed through the windows. Examination of the wreckage by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed that the airplane came to rest inverted, on top of sawgrass with the cabin partially submerged in water. Fuel samples taken from the belly drain and gascolator revealed significant amounts of water in the fuel drained from both drain ports. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N714UY](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N714UY-2018-02-02), registration cancelled 2018-02-02, S/N 15279454, built 1977 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: CESSNA 152 (NO SERIES) - Registry model: [Cessna 152](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-152) (registry code 2071835) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming 0-235 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-235-series) (registry code 41505, 4 cycle) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 15279454 - Year built: 1977 - Airframe hours: 6615 - Engines: LYCOMING O-235 SERIES 110 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Instructional, Part 91 - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: 100 hour, March 31, 2017, 69 hours before - Departed: FXE, FORT LAUDERDALE, FL - Destination: FXE, FORT LAUDERDALE, FL ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Flight instructor; age 28; injuries: none; flight instructor; medical: class 2, with waivers/limitations; last flight review April 22, 2016; seat: right; restraint: 3-point; flight hours: 420 total, 214 in this make and model, 281 as pilot in command, 45 in the last 90 days, 26 in the last 30 days - Student pilot; age 18; injuries: none; student; medical: class 2, with waivers/limitations; seat: left; restraint: 3-point; flight hours: 13 total, 13 in this make and model, 13 in the last 90 days, 11 in the last 30 days ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: calm - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 10,000 ft broken - Temperature: 82 °F, dew point 75 °F - Altimeter: 30.04 inHg - Observed at: FXE, 13 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 (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20170720010729A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20170720010729A), Jul 20, 2017: Cessna 152, Taramac, FL, Destroyed. Aircraft experienced complete power loss during practice manuevers with student. CFI elected to land on a dirt road adjacent to the everglades. Upon landing… ## Docket (6 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 7, 2019, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=95633. 3.2 MB in all. - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 2.0 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40476620&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Master.PDF - FAA Inspector's Statement (item 2, .PDF, 30 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40476621&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=FAA%20Inspector%27s%20Statement-Master.PDF - Memorandum for Record - Telephone Interview, Flight Instructor (item 3, .PDF, 125 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40476622&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Memorandum%20for%20Record%20-%20Telephone%20Interview,%20Flight%20Instructor-Master.PDF - Memorandum for Record - Telephone Interview, Student Pilot (item 4, .PDF, 30 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40476623&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Memorandum%20for%20Record%20-%20Telephone%20Interview,%20Student%20Pilot-Master.PDF - Memorandum for Record - Telephone Interview, Owner (item 5, .PDF, 29 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40476624&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Memorandum%20for%20Record%20-%20Telephone%20Interview,%20Owner-Master.PDF - Investigative Photos (item 6, .PDF, 4 photos, 904 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40476625&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Investigative%20Photos-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.