- Date
- March 14, 1990, 15:05 local (20:05 UTC)
- Place
- Forty Fort, PA
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N29578Cessna 177
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 10, 1991
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900314007869A
- Case key
- 36528
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
Loss of engine power for an unknown reason, and failure of the pilot to maintain adequate airspeed, while maneuvering, which resulted in an inadvertent stall.
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
As the plt & plt rated passenger were departing the arpt, the eng lost power at about 300 to 600 ft AGL. The acft began to turn to the right, then it entered a steep descent & crashed. No preimpact part failure or malfunction of of the acft or eng was found. An investigation revealed the acft had been serviced with auto fuel. A check of the fuel about 24 hrs after the acdnt revealed a reid vapor pressure (rvp) of 11.8. According to the supplier, the auto fuel consisted of 17.5% winter grade fuel & 82.5% summer grade fuel. Aviation fuel has an rvp of 5.5 to 7 & is less susceptible to vapor lock. According to the acft log, the acft had been modified iaw STC SA2010CE & SE1931CE for use of auto fuel, but an id clamp & placards were not installed, as required. The carb float was made of a composite material. The temp & dew point were 80 & 50 deg, respectively. According to carb icing charts, serious carb icing could have occurred at glide power & visible icing was possible at rated power.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N29578
- Reported as
- Cessna 177
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 177-00970
- Airframe hours
- 1,576
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2D, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Kenneth A. & Sara M. Millard
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 1, 1989 · 22 hours before
- Departed
- WBW · Forty Fort, PA
- Destination
- N27 · Towanda, PA
- Airport
- WBW · Wyoming Valley, runway 24, 3,375 × 148 ft, asphalt
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
- 64
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 555 total · 433 as pilot in command · 9 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 210° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 25,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 50 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- AVP, 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.