Pilot Debrief

CESSNA 172M near Arcola, TX — 2012-12-07

Final reportCEN13LA104
Sign in to save
Date
2012-12-07
Location
Arcola, TX, USA
Airport
AXH
Aircraft
CESSNA 172M
Registration
N172BJ
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Initial climb

Probable cause

The loss of engine power during initial climb for reasons that could not be determined because postaccident examination of the engine did not reveal any anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.

NTSB narrative

The pilot said that the airplane experienced a total loss of engine power while climbing through 500 feet above ground level. The flight instructor took the controls and performed a landing on a freshly plowed field, which resulted in the airplane nosing over. Postaccident examination of the engine and associated components did not reveal any mechanical failure. The examination revealed that the right fuel tank contained about one gallon of fuel and the left fuel tank was almost full. The master switch was in the on position, the key switch was in the off position, and the fuel selector was in the off position. The airplane was fueled before the flight, but the reason for the fuel imbalance between fuel tanks could not be determined. It is unknown if the fuel selector was on the left tank during the flight and then placed in the off position after the accident.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Fuel management
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have ensured fuel selector was on before takeoff.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • 2 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents2

Related mishaps