- Date
- September 23, 1999, 08:59 local (12:59 UTC)
- Place
- St Petersburg, FL
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N3342TCessna 177
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 21, 2000
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19990923036869A
- Case key
- 47487
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
A loose throttle control cable clamp which resulted in a lose of 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 while engaged in traffic reporting duties, at 1,000 feet, 6 miles southwest of the Albert Whitted Municipal Airport, the engine started to sputter and there was a loss of engine power. The pilot further stated that she performed the emergency checklist, turned toward Albert Whitted Municipal Airport, and made a radio call. She attempted to regain cruise power, but the engine produced insufficient power to maintain altitude. She ditched the airplane in shallow water in the vicinity of Tierra Verde, where both she and the passenger were rescued. According to an FAA inspector who conducted an examination of the airplane, the throttle control cable clamp, located just aft of the carburetor was loose from the throttle housing, and made a bow upwards without fully manipulating the throttle control arm.
Factual narrative
On September 23, 1999, about 0859 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 177, N3342T, registered to RNI Inc., and operated by Bay Air Flying Service Inc., as a 14 CFR Part 91 business flight, ditched near St. Petersburg, Florida, following loss of engine power. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed. The aircraft was substantially damaged, and the commercial-rated pilot and passenger were not injured. The flight originated from Albert Whitted Municipal Airport, St. Petersburg, Florida, the same day, about 0610.
The pilot stated that while engaged in traffic reporting duties, at about 1,000 feet, 6 miles southwest of the Albert Whitted Municipal Airport, the engine started to sputter and there was a loss of engine power. The pilot further stated that she performed the emergency checklist, turned toward Albert Whitted Municipal Airport, and made a radio call. She attempted to regain cruise power, but the engine would not produce enough power to maintain altitude. She ditched the airplane in shallow water, in the vicinity of Tierra Verde, where both she and the passenger were rescued.
According to an FAA inspector who conducted a postcrash examination of the airplane, the throttle control cable clamp, located just aft of the carburetor was loose from the throttle housing, and made a bow upwards without fully manipulating the throttle control arm.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3342T
- Reported as
- Cessna 177
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17700642
- Airframe hours
- 2,672
- Engine
- Lycoming 0320-E2D, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Operator
- Bay Air Flying Service Inc., doing business as Bay Air Flying Service Inc.
- Registered owner
- Rni Incorporated
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · August 5, 1999 · 72 hours before
- Departed
- SPG
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 instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 895 total · 25 in this make and model · 640 as pilot in command · 197 in the last 90 days · 60 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 30° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SPG, 6 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.