- Date
- November 20, 1989, 14:30 local (20:30 UTC)
- Place
- Port Allen, LA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N13055Cessna 172
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 24, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19891120046419A
- Case key
- 23078
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 system contamination due to inadequate maintenance/service of the airplane.
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 airplane was being used for pipeline patrol. During the flight, the engine ran rough twice and twice the commercial pilot made off airport landings to drain the sumps in the fuel system. Shortly after the next takeoff, the engine quit and the pilot had to make a forced landing in a rough sugar-cane field. Post accident investigation revealed that the airplane had previously been out of service for three years. The mainenance personnel that returned the airplane to service, stated they had used the maintenance manual to remove the airplane from storage, and back to service. Investigation indicated all parts of the fuel system were covered with a rust colored, varnish like substance.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N13055
- Reported as
- Cessna 172
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17262462
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2D, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial observation · Part 91
- Operator
- Airscan Aerial Surveillance
- Registered owner
- Air Scan, Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility
- Destination
- Gonzales, LA
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
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 6,859 total · 4,500 in this make and model · 6,729 as pilot in command · 240 in the last 90 days · 80 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 63 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.