- Date
- August 8, 1993, 21:40 local (Aug 9, 1993, 02:40 UTC)
- Place
- Grand Prairie, TX
- Injuries
- 4 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N34293Cessna 177B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/bright
- Status
- Completed · report August 2, 1994
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Safety recommendations
- Yes
- FAA report
- 19930809028189A
- Case key
- 18812
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
Loss of engine power due to fuel starvation as a result of a leaking fuel line. The fuel line was not the correct part as a result of a misidentification by Cessna.
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
At about 2,500 ft AGL a total loss of engine power occurred. The pilot made a forced landing on an interstate highway. During the landing flare the airplane collided with a road sign and a concrete barricade. Examination revealed evidence of fuel leaking from the fuel line going to the fuel pressure gauge. The line was replaced, and an engine test run was conducted with no anomalies. Further examination of the fuel line revealed that it had been misidentified. The Cessna data tag indicated that the fuel line was made from an aeroquip AE701 hose. However, it had been made from a nitrile rubber aeroquip 601 hose.
Factual narrative
On August 8, 1993, at approximately 2140 central daylight time, a Cessna 177B, N34293, sustained substantial damage near Grand Prairie, Texas, during a forced landing following a loss of engine power. The private pilot, a private pilot rated passenger, and the two other passengers were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal cross country flight.
Interviews, conducted by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector, and the investigator in charge with the pilot revealed the flight originated from Olathe, Kansas, at approximately 1748 on an IFR flight plan to Grand Prairie, Texas. An emergency was declared by the pilot when a total engine power loss occurred enroute at 3,000 feet MSL and approximately 12 miles from the destination airport. During the landing on an interstate highway, the right wing of the airplane hit a road sign. The airplane subsequently impacted a construction barricade and came to rest nose down on the north shoulder of the interstate.
The Grand Prairie city fire department reported to the investigator in charge that a vehicle, braking to avoid hitting the airplane, received damage as it impacted the center median. The driver and three occupants of the vehicle were not injured.
An examination by the FAA inspector revealed physical evidence of the fuel pressure line leaking. The line was changed and an engine test run was conducted with no anomalies.
The airplane was released to the owner's representative following the investigation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N34293
- Reported as
- Cessna 177B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17701755
- Airframe hours
- 1,249
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A1F6, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Smith, Edward J.
- Registered owner
- Wood, Donald W.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 7, 1993 · 28 hours before
- Departed
- OJC · Olathe, KS
- Destination
- F67 · TX
- Flight plan
- IFR
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
- 32
- Certificates
- Flight engineer, Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 178 total · 162 in this make and model · 138 as pilot in command · 48 in the last 90 days · 26 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/bright
- Wind
- 120° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 12 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 88 °F, dew point 63 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- NBE, 5 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.