- Date
- August 9, 1985, 20:40 local (Aug 10, 1985, 01:40 UTC)
- Place
- Pearland, TX
- Injuries
- 2 minor, 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N1518VCessna 172M
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19850809037789A
- Case key
- 21817
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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 acft contacted a ditch during a forced landing. According to the plt, the takeoff and climb were normal until the acft reached aprx 120 ft AGL when the eng quit as if the ignition key was turned off. The arpt elevation is 51 ft MSL. The rwy is asphalt surfaced and is 1800 ft long. The wind was from the south at 3 KTS. The plt stated he was using 10 degrees of flaps but acft exam revealed the flaps and flap switch were in the 'up' position. Post accident exam also revealed only clean fuel in the carburetor bowl. A subsequent eng run proved normal operation. The FAA coordinator stated all four occupants were relatively large people and both fuel tanks were full.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1518V
- Reported as
- Cessna 172M
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17263640
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2D, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- James E. Koester
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
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
- 35
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 104 total · 19 in this make and model · 64 as pilot in command · 20 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 180° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.