Pilot Debrief

Cessna 172 near Grassy Butte, ND — 2019-09-10

Final reportCEN19LA311
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Date
2019-09-10
Location
Grassy Butte, ND, USA
Aircraft
Cessna 172
Registration
N5347T
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
Serious
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Takeoff roll

Probable cause

A total loss of engine power due to water contamination of the fuel, and the pilot's failure to conduct a preflight inspection.

NTSB narrative

The student pilot reported that he recently fueled the airplane with fuel from an external supply tank on his ranch. On the day of the accident, the pilot taxied the airplane to a north-south road and started the takeoff roll to the north. The airplane lifted off and climbed to about 40 ft above ground level when the engine experienced a total loss of power. The pilot made a left turn to land in a parallel field; the airplane landed hard and came to rest upright, sustaining substantial damage to the left wing and fuselage. Postaccident examination revealed a significant amount of water in the carburetor and in the airplane's fuel tanks. Water was also found in the supply tank from which the pilot fueled the airplane. The pilot reported that he did not check the airplane's fuel tanks for contamination before departing on the flight, nor had he checked the fuel supply tank for contamination. The circumstances of the accident are consistent with a total loss of engine power due to water contamination of the fuel system.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Fuel management
First missed decision gate
Pilot did not check fuel tanks for contamination before takeoff.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • 4 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents4

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