- Date
- July 7, 2007, 16:10 local (20:10 UTC)
- Place
- Berkeley Townsh, NJ
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N12633Cessna Ector 305A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 28, 2008
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20070707020829A
- Case key
- 66149
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 loss of engine power during cruise flight for undetermined reasons.
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 was towing a banner at an altitude of 500 feet, when the engine abruptly lost power. She released the banner, and attempted unsuccessfully to restart the engine. The pilot subsequently performed a forced landing to a beach. During the landing, the airplane's left landing gear separated, and the airframe was distorted. Examination of the airplane did not reveal any pre-impact mechanical malfunctions. Fuel samples taken from both fuel tanks and the fuel supply line to the carburetor were absent of contamination. A postaccident test run of the engine, and subsequent teardown of the carburetor, did not reveal any discrepancies.
Factual narrative
On July 7, 2007, about 1610 eastern daylight time, a Cessna Ector 305A, N12633, was substantially damaged during a forced landing, following a loss of engine power, while in cruise flight near Berkeley Township, New Jersey. The certificated commercial pilot sustained minor injures. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the flight that departed Lakewood Airport, Lakewood, New Jersey. The local banner tow flight was conducted under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.
The pilot reported that she was towing a banner at an altitude of 500 feet, when the engine abruptly lost power. She released the banner, applied carburetor heat, and attempted unsuccessfully to restart the engine. The pilot subsequently performed a forced landing to a beach. During the landing, the airplane's left landing gear separated, and the airframe was distorted.
Examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector did not reveal any preimpact mechanical malfunctions. Thumb compression was obtained on all cylinders, and both magnetos produced spark through their respective ignition leads. Fuel samples taken from both fuel tanks and the fuel supply line to the carburetor were absent of contamination. The engine was test run on July 17, 2007, with no discrepancies noted. In addition, a subsequent teardown of the carburetor did not reveal any abnormalities.
The airplane had been operated for about 18 hours since it's most recent annual inspection, which was performed about 2 weeks prior to the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N12633
- Reported as
- Cessna Ector 305A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 12633
- Airframe hours
- 3,921
- Engine
- Teledyne Continental O-470, 213 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Banner tow · Part 91
- Registered owner
- East Moriches Aerial Advertising Ltd.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 1, 2007 · 18 hours before
- Departed
- N12 · Lakewood, NJ
- Destination
- N12
- Airport
- N12 · Lakewood
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
- 22
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- January 1, 2007
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 850 total · 200 in this make and model · 650 as pilot in command · 230 in the last 90 days · 105 in the last 30 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 300° at 11 knots, gusting 18
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.87 inHg
- Observed at
- BLM, 20 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.
Other investigations on N12633 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.