Pilot Debrief

CESSNA 172H near Charles Town, WV — 2023-04-11

Final reportERA23LA190
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Date
2023-04-11
Location
Charles Town, WV, USA
Aircraft
CESSNA 172H
Registration
N2554L
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Cruise

Probable cause

A loss of engine power for undetermined reasons.

NTSB narrative

While en route to the destination airport, the engine began “sputtering.” The pilot reported that the mixture was in the full rich position and he applied carburetor heat; however, the engine did not regain full power. He performed a forced landing to a field and during the landing the nose landing gear collapsed, which resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage. During the recovery of the airplane, 5 gallons of fuel was noted in the right fuel tank and 10 gallons of fuel was noted in the left fuel tank. A postaccident examination of the wreckage revealed no evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation; the reason for the loss of engine power could not be determined.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Engine power loss
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have checked fuel levels before departure to ensure adequate fuel.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

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

Docket documents7

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