Pilot Debrief

Cessna 172 near Lignum, VA — 2019-02-10

Final reportERA19TA098
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Date
2019-02-10
Location
Lignum, VA, USA
Aircraft
Cessna 172
Registration
N7414N
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
Minor
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Climb

Probable cause

A total loss of engine power for undetermined reasons.

NTSB narrative

During the instructional flight, the flight instructor was demonstrating power-off stalls at an altitude of 3,000 ft above mean sea level (msl). During recovery from a stall, as the instructor applied engine power, the engine did not respond and subsequently lost all power. The instructor attempted to restart the engine and performed a forced landing to a rural highway, during which the airplane impacted a telephone pole and sustained substantial damage to both wings and the fuselage. Examination of the airplane revealed no preimpact mechanical malfunctions with the airframe or engine. No anomalies were noted during a subsequent test run of the engine. A review of the weather conditions as reported at the surface level and a numerical model of conditions at 3,000 ft msl revealed that carburetor icing was not likely. The reason for the loss of engine power could not be determined.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Engine power loss
First missed decision gate
Instructor could have chosen a different landing area before engine failure.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • Photos
  • 6 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents6

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