# NTSB MIA96LA188: Cessna 152, N6481L, Troy, AL, July 17, 1996 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: July 17, 1996, 18:10 local (23:10 UTC) - Place: Troy, AL - Coordinates: 31.899936, -85.899398 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=31.8999&lon=-85.8994&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Initial climb](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/350) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report December 20, 1996 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB case key (mKey): 38052 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=MIA96LA188 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/38052/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA96LA188 ## Probable cause fuel contamination, which resulted in loss of engine power, a forced landing, and impact with trees. A factor relating to the accident was: inadequate maintenance and/or inspection after the previous loss of engine power and forced landing. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Loss of engine power(total) - nonmechanical, takeoff - initial climb - fluid,fuel - contamination (cause) - maintenance,inspection - inadequate (contributing factor) - Forced landing, emergency landing after takeoff - In flight collision with object, emergency landing - object - tree(s) - Nose over, emergency landing ## Analysis The airplane had been grounded the day before the accident after loss of engine power during takeoff, followed by a successful forced landing on the runway. The airplane had been refueled at the FBO just before the engine lost power. Two mechanics, examined the airplane. The airplane was checked okay, test flown, and remained at the airport overnight. The next day, a pilot arrived to return the airplane to Eglin Air Force Base. The pilot took fuel samples from the main sump, and 'found approximately 2' of water and sediment in the bottom of the sample.' He drained the right tank and stated that he 'found approximately 1' of water and sediment and 1/4' fuel....' He took several more fuel samples, and 'found the fuel to be all clean.' The pilot decided to fly in the traffic pattern before departing for Florida, to test the airplane. He performed an engine run up and found everything 'normal.' He flew twice around the airport traffic pattern, and was on takeoff at an altitude of about 200 to 300 feet above the ground (AGL), when the engine lost complete power. The pilot elected to land in a small field south of the airport, but the airplane struck trees, nosed over, and came to rest upside down. A postaccident test-run of the engine was performed. The engine operated normally above 1500 RPM to 2200 RPM, but it would not idle below 1500 RPM. The carburetor was removed from the engine and examined. The examination revealed water in the bowl, and dirt inside the carburetor. ## Factual narrative On July 17, 1996, about 1810 central daylight time, a Cessna 152, N6481L, registered to the United States Air Force, Aero Club, Eglin Air Force Base (AFB), Florida, operating as a 14 CFR Part 91, local test flight, crashed in the vicinity of Troy, Alabama. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a VFR flight plan was filed, but not activated. The airplane was substantially damaged, and the airline transport pilot was not injured. The airplane had been grounded in Troy the day before the accident, due to an engine failure on takeoff, and a successful forced landing was made on the runway. The airplane had been refueled at the FBO just before the engine failure. Two Aero Club mechanic, flew to Troy, and examined the airplane. The airplane was checked okay, test flown, but remained at Troy. The next day a pilot was flown into Troy, in another airplane, to retrieve N6481L, and return the airplane to Eglin Air Force Base. According to the pilot's statement, he took a fuel sample from the main sump into a jar. He stated that he "found approximately 2" of water and sediment in the bottom of the sample." The pilot drained the right tank sump, and stated that he "found approximately 1" of water and sediment and 1/4" fuel...." The pilot then waited about 1/2 hour and drained fuel again. This time he stated that he "found the fuel to be all clean." He drained the left wing sump and stated that the first sample "had several small bubbles in the bottom." He then took five or six more samples "with all clean fuel." He took an additional three or four samples from the main sump and "found all clean fuel." The pilot decided to fly in the traffic pattern before departing for Florida, to test the airplane. He taxied to runway 25, performed an engine run up, and found everything "normal." He flew twice around the airport's traffic pattern, was on takeoff, and had attained an altitude of about 200 to 300 feet above the ground (AGL), when the engine lost complete power. According to the pilot, "[the] power loss was nearly immediate (from full power to zero power in 1-2 seconds, i.e. not a sudden loss of power but a very quick wind (sic) down) with no sputtering, surging, etc. It was almost like someone reached in and pulled the mixture to cut off." The pilot elected to land in a small field on the south side of the airport boundary fence. He tried to clear some trees in his flight path, but the airplane struck the trees, in a nose high attitude, nosed over, and came to rest upside down. The airplane's engine was test run on August 14, 1996, at Atlanta Air Salvage's facilities, Griffin, Georgia, under the supervision of the NTSB. The engine ran with no discrepancies above 1500 rpm, up to 2200 rpm. The engine would not idle below 1500 rpm. The carburetor was removed from the engine and examined. The examination revealed water in the bowl, and dirt inside the carburetor. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N6481L](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N6481L-2013-02-13), registration cancelled 2013-02-13, S/N 15284412, built 1980 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Cessna 152 - 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: 15284412 - Airframe hours: 5281 - Engines: Lycoming O-235-L2C 110 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Part 91 - Registered owner: Eglin Aero Club/Usaf - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: 100 hour, April 23, 1996, 55 hours before - Departed: TOI - Destination: VPS, EGLIN AFB, FL - Flight plan: VFR - Airport: TOI, Troy Municipal, runway 25, 5,010 × 100 ft, asphalt ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 40; flight instructor, airline transport; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane, helicopter; medical: class 1, valid medical--no waivers/lim.; seat: left; flight hours: 4,378 total, 87 in this make and model, 3,773 as pilot in command, 39 in the last 90 days, 9 in the last 30 days, 2 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 130° at 2 knots - Visibility: 7 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 12,000 ft broken - Temperature: 75 °F, dew point 72 °F - Altimeter: 30.00 inHg ## 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 19960717017979A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19960717017979A), Jul 17, 1996: Cessna 152, Troy, AL, Substantial damage. Experienced an in flight engine failure. 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.