Pilot Debrief

CESSNA LC41 near Apopka, FL — 2018-12-31

Final reportERA19LA081
Sign in to save
Date
2018-12-31
Location
Apopka, FL, USA
Airport
X04
Aircraft
CESSNA LC41
Registration
N78JE
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Approach

Probable cause

A partial loss of engine power during a go-around for reasons that could not be determined based on the available information, which resulted in a forced landing.

NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that, after an uneventful cross-country flight, he observed animals on the runway during the approach, so he chose to perform a go-around. The engine did not produce full power during the go-around, and the airplane would not maintain altitude, so he performed a forced landing short of the runway, during which the airplane collided with trees. An examination of the wreckage and a test run of the engine did not reveal any evidence of a preaccident malfunction or failure that would have precluded normal operation. The recorded systems and engine data showed that there should have been adequate fuel on board to complete the flight. The reason for the loss of engine power could not be determined.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Fuel management
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have aborted the flight due to low fuel indications before final approach.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • ADS-B / radar
  • Photos
  • 11 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents11

Related mishaps