- Date
- July 14, 1989, 12:05 local (16:05 UTC)
- Place
- Lancaster, NY
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N6171BCessna 182A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 26, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890714025339A
- Case key
- 36439
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
Water contamination of the fuel, and an inadequate preflight by the pilot-in-command.
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 of the Cessna 182 had just taken off from the airport when the engine lost power. The pilot could not land straight ahead, he made a left turn and hit an abutment. The aircraft flipped over and the pilot, who was the sole occupant received minor injuries. An on-scene inspection of the fuel system showed there was water in the carburetor bowl. The pilot reported getting 1/2 teaspoon of water out of the right fuel tank during the pre-flight.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6171B
- Reported as
- Cessna 182A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 34171
- Airframe hours
- 2,895
- Engine
- Continental O-470-L, 230 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Henry Potoczak
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 27, 1989 · 1 hours before
- Departed
- Lancaster, NY
- Destination
- D-42 · Clarence Center, NY
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
- 70
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,450 total · 900 in this make and model · 1,450 as pilot in command · 4 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 360° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 8 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F
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 N6171B · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.