- Date
- February 2, 1991, 09:30 local (14:30 UTC)
- Place
- Nashua, NH
- Injuries
- 4 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N13341Cessna 172M
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 5, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910202003509A
- Case key
- 36874
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
Fuel system contamination by other personnel which resulted in an inflight engine failure and a subsequent forced landing in unsuitable terrain.
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 Cessna 172 was at 1500 feet altitude just after takeoff, when the engine quit. A forced landing was made in a gravel pit. An examination of the carburetor revealed a 'jell type substance completely filling the accelerator pump housing.' It was reported an unknown person put automobile dry gas into the fuel tanks the day before the flight. Investigators were able to produce a substance identical to the one found, by mixing dry gas, aviation fuel and water and then freezing the mixture. After the accident, the engine could not be started using normal procedures. The primer had to be used repeatedly, and even then the engine ran roughly.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N13341
- Reported as
- Cessna 172M
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- L36170-279
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2D, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Tye A. Merrill
- Registered owner
- Tye A. Merrill
- Last inspection
- Unknown · January 2, 2000
- Departed
- ASH · Nashua, NH
- Destination
- BAF · Westfield, NH
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
- 35
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 207 total · 207 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 165° at 10 knots, gusting 15
- Lowest ceiling
- None
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.