Pilot Debrief

CESSNA R172K near Rexburg, ID — 2021-10-31

Final reportWPR22LA025
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Date
2021-10-31
Location
Rexburg, ID, USA
Airport
RXE
Aircraft
CESSNA R172K
Registration
N1082V
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Approach

Probable cause

A total loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined based on the available evidence. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s decision to operate the airplane with a known mechanical issue.

NTSB narrative

The student pilot reported that, during final approach to land on a solo flight, the engine lost total power while the airplane was about 400 ft above ground level. The student pilot elected to conduct an off-airport landing on a street. During the landing roll, the right wing struck a street light pole, and the nose landing gear struck the street curb, resulting in substantial damage to the wing and fuselage undercarriage. The student pilot reported that, before the accident, the airplane had lost power on multiple occasions after the engine was warmed up and at idle. Maintenance had been performed to correct the issue and the airplane was signed off as airworthy with respect to the work performed and was approved to return to service; however, the power loss occurred at least once after the maintenance but before the accident. No maintenance entries were identified in the logbook to indicate that further maintenance was accomplished. The student pilot elected to operate the airplane on the day of the accident, even though the engine issue was not fully resolved. After the airplane was recovered, a mechanic ran the engine and reported that it ran smoothly for about 2 minutes. The mechanic also stated that magneto and mixture checks were “normal.” The mechanic performed the engine run and the magneto and mixture checks without government oversight. Postaccident examination of the wreckage revealed that the fuel selector switch was jammed between the “both” and right tank positions likely due to the damage to the floor, which was deformed upward, during the accident sequence. The cause of the total loss of engine power could not be determined based on the available evidence for this investigation.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Engine power loss
First missed decision gate
Turning on the electric fuel pump before attempting to restart the engine.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

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

Docket documents7

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