- Date
- December 9, 1989, 13:55 local (18:55 UTC)
- Place
- Uxbridge, MA
- Injuries
- 2 serious, 1 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N4289LCessna 172G
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 9, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19891209049539A
- Case key
- 36590
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
Ice in the fuel strainer, which restricted fuel flow & resulted in fuel starvation, and the pilot inadvertently stalled the airplane, when he abruptly maneuvered it to avoid a transmission wire during a forced landing.
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 he had full fuel on board before takeoff. He had been flying for approximately 35 minutes, when the engine began to run rough. He applied carburetor heat, but the engine did not respond. He attempted to land in an industrial park, but was high. While maneuvering, the engine quit and the pilot banked steeply to the right to avoid a powerline. The airplane stalled and struck the ground. Post accident examination of the engine and fuel system revealed a large piece of ice was attached to the fuel strainer. The ice was of sufficient size to block at least 50% of the fuel flow.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4289L
- Reported as
- Cessna 172G
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 172-54358
- Engine
- Continental O-300-D, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Charles E. Michaud
- Departed
- MA08 · Oxford, MA
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
- 48
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 400 total · 330 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 360° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- -0 °F, dew point -0 °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 N4289L · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.