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NTSB Identification: MIA97LA064. The docket is stored in the (offline) NTSB Imaging System. |
Accident occurred Thursday, January 16, 1997 at BOCA RATON, FL |
Aircraft: Cessna 152, registration: N69219 |
Injuries: 1 Serious |
Event: 20001208X07332 Status: Final Report Approved On Monday, August 25, 1997 |
NTSB Preliminary Narrative (6120.19A) |
On January 16, 1997, about 0920 eastern standard time, a Cessna 152, N69219, registered to Boca Airport, Inc., collided with trees while |
making a forced landing following loss of engine power at Boca Raton Airport, Boca Raton, Florida, while on a Title 14 CFR Part 91 instructional |
flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed. The aircraft received substantial damage and the |
student-rated pilot received serious injury. The flight originated from Boca Raton, Florida, the same day, about 0825. |
The pilot stated she performed a normal preflight inspection and drained the fuel tank sumps and fuel strainer. She did not observe any water |
in the drained fuel. After takeoff she performed maneuvers west of Boca Raton for about 45 minutes, before returning to the airport for takeoffs |
and landings. On the second approach to landing she pushed in the throttle to increase engine power while at 500 feet on final approach. The |
engine did not respond and the propeller stopped turning shortly after this. She was unable to reach the runway and made a forced landing in a |
wooded area short of the runway. |
Postcrash examination of the aircraft by an FAA inspector showed each fuel tank was about three quarters full of 100LL fuel. Uncontaminated |
fuel was drained from each fuel tank sump. The fuel strainer and carburetor bowl was full of water. The right fuel cap was found to allow |
water to leak into it when poured over the cap. The engine fuel system was purged of water and the engine was started and operated with no |
evidence of mechanical malfunction. The aircraft had been fueled on January 11, 1997, and did not fly until the accident flight. During the |
period between the fueling and the accident flight the aircraft was parked on the ramp. On several of the days it rained. The fueling source was |
found to be uncontaminated and other aircraft fueled from the source did not contain water contamination. |
NTSB Final Narrative (6120.4) |
The pilot stated that during preflight inspection she did not see any water in fuel samples she drew from the wing sump drains and fuel strainer. |
After 55 minutes of flight, while on final approach, the engine quit. The pilot made a forced landing in a wooded area. Postcrash examination |
showed that the fuel strainer and carburetor bowl were full of water. The right fuel cap was found to be leaking. The engine operated normally |
after removal of the water from the fuel system. The fueling source was free of water and other aircraft fueled from this source did not contain |
water. The aircraft was refueled 5 days before the accident and did not fly until the accident flight. Between the last refueling and the accident |
flight the aircraft sat on the ramp. On several of the days it rained. The aircraft received a 100-hour inspection, 17 days and 21 flight hours |
before the accident. |
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative |
Inadequate inspection of the fuel caps by company maintenance personnel resulting in a cap with a deteriorated seal being allowed to continue |
in service. This allowed water to leak into the fuel tank which resulted in loss of engine power due to water ingestion. |
Occurrences and Sequence of Events |
Occurrence: 1, LOSS OF ENGINE POWER(TOTAL) - NONMECHANICAL |
Phase of Operation: APPROACH - VFR PATTERN - FINAL APPROACH |
Sequence of Events for Occurrence Number: 1 |
1 ( Cause ) FUEL SYSTEM, CAP / DETERIORATED / (0) |
2 ( Cause ) MAINTENANCE, INSPECTION / INADEQUATE / COMPANY MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL |
3 ( Cause ) FUEL SYSTEM, CAP / LEAK / (0) |
4 ( Cause ) FUEL SYSTEM / CONTAMINATION, WATER / (0) |
Occurrence: 2, FORCED LANDING |
Phase of Operation: EMERGENCY DESCENT/LANDING |
Occurrence: 3, IN FLIGHT COLLISION WITH OBJECT |
Phase of Operation: LANDING - FLARE/TOUCHDOWN |
Sequence of Events for Occurrence Number: 3 |
1 (Finding) OBJECT / TREE(S) / (0) |
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