- Date
- December 9, 2007, 16:30 local (21:30 UTC)
- Place
- Fair Bluff, NC
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N3699SCessna 172E
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 31, 2008
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Greensboro FSDO-05
- FAA report
- 20071209828449A
- Case key
- 67223
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
The pilot's inadequate preflight inspection which failed to detect contaminated fuel, and subsequent loss of engine power.
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 pilot stated that he owned the airplane for quite some time, and that it had been "sitting" on the field since 2004. He said that he stopped taking flying lessons, and decided to sell the airplane. He said on the day of the accident, he "washed the airplane" and "sumped the fuel tanks." While sumping the tanks, he noted that about a ½ cup of water drained from the left and right fuel tanks. He decided to start the airplane and take it up for 1-touch and go. During his initial climb out the engine began to lose power. Shortly thereafter, he "pushed the throttle forward, and the engine revved up and then stopped." At that point, he made a left turn towards the field and landed in heavy brush. He said that as he exited the airplane it "caught on fire" and he was unable to extinguish it. During the telephone interview with the pilot he said that "he did not get all of the water out of tanks."
Factual narrative
The pilot stated that he owned the airplane for quite some time, and that it has been "sitting" on the field since 2004. He said that he stopped taking flying lessons, and decided to sell the airplane. He said on the day of the accident, he "washed the airplane" and "sumped the fuel tanks." While sumping the tanks, he noted that about a ½ cup of water drained from the left and right fuel tanks. He decided to start the airplane and take it up for 1-touch and go. During his initial climb out the engine began to lose power. Shortly thereafter, he "pushed the throttle forward, and the engine revved up and then stopped." At that point, he made a left turn towards the field and landed in heavy brush. He said that as he exited the airplane it "caught on fire" and he was unable to extinguish it. During the telephone interview with the pilot he said that "he did not get all of the water out of tanks."
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3699S
- Reported as
- Cessna 172E
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17250899
- Airframe hours
- 5,647
- Engine
- Continental O-300, 170 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- William H. Strickland
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 1, 2007 · 181 hours before
- Departed
- 89NC · Fair Bluff, NC
- Airport
- 89NC · Strickland Field Airport, runway 5, 2,642 × 118 ft, grass/turf
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
- 60
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Unknown
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 100 total · 100 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 150° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.29 inHg
- Observed at
- CPC, 15 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.