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NTSB Identification: NYC00LA223. The docket is stored in the (offline) NTSB Imaging System. |
Accident occurred Wednesday, August 09, 2000 at BRIDGEWATER, MA |
Aircraft: Cessna 150, registration: N51181 |
Injuries: 2 Uninjured |
Event: 20001212X21836 Status: Final Report Approved On Thursday, April 19, 2001 |
NTSB Preliminary Narrative (6120.19A) |
On August 9, 2000, about 1210 Eastern Daylight Time, a Cessna 150, N51181, was substantially damaged during a forced landing to a field near |
Bridgewater, Massachusetts. The pilot-in-command (PIC) and the pilot rated passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions |
prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91 |
During a telephone interview, the PIC stated that the pilot rated passenger was a mechanic who had completed an annual inspection on the |
accident airplane. The mechanic wanted to take the airplane for a test flight, but did not have a current medical certificate. Therefore, the |
mechanic asked the PIC to accompany him on the flight. |
While performing a preflight inspection of the airplane, the PIC "sumped" the fuel tanks and noticed water in the fuel. He kept "sumping" the |
tanks, until no water was present. Approximately 20 minutes after takeoff, about 3,000 feet, the engine lost all power. The PIC performed a |
forced landing to a field, and the airplane came to rest inverted in a ditch. |
During a telephone interview, the mechanic stated that prior to the annual inspection, the airplane had not flown for approximately 3 years. |
During those 3 years, the fuel tanks were approximately half full. The mechanic checked the main fuel strainer during the annual inspection, and |
did not observe any debris or contamination. |
About 2 weeks before the accident flight, the mechanic completely filled the tanks with fuel. After the fueling, the engine would not start. The |
mechanic drained all the fuel, and refueled the tanks to capacity, but he did not recheck the main fuel strainer. After the accident, he believed |
that there was water in the fuel tanks that was "stirred up" during those two fuelings. |
Examination of the wreckage by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed substantial damage to the fuselage and empennage. The |
inspector observed fuel contamination in the main fuel strainer and carburetor. |
NTSB Final Narrative (6120.4) |
Prior to the annual inspection, the airplane had not flown for approximately 3 years, and the fuel tanks were left half-full. During the annual |
inspection, the mechanic checked the main fuel strainer, and did not observe any contamination. After the inspection, the mechanic completely |
filled the fuel tanks, but the engine would not start. He then drained the tanks and refueled them; however, he did not recheck the main fuel |
strainer. The pilot-in-command stated that he sumped the fuel tanks during the preflight inspection, and found some water. He kept sumping the |
tanks until he could not see any water. About 20 minutes after departure, the engine lost all power, and the pilot-in-command performed a |
forced landing to a field. During the landing in high grass, the airplane struck a ditch and came to rest inverted. Examination of the wreckage by |
a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed that the fuel was contaminated with water and debris. |
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative |
The mechanic's inadequate annual inspection, which resulted in a departure with fuel contamination. A factor was the pilot-in-command's |
inadequate preflight inspection. |
Occurrences and Sequence of Events |
Occurrence: 1, LOSS OF ENGINE POWER(TOTAL) - NONMECHANICAL |
Phase of Operation: CRUISE |
Sequence of Events for Occurrence Number: 1 |
1 (Finding) FLUID, FUEL / CONTAMINATION / (0) |
2 ( Cause ) MAINTENANCE, ANNUAL INSPECTION / INADEQUATE / OTHER MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL |
3 ( Factor ) AIRCRAFT PREFLIGHT / INADEQUATE / PILOT IN COMMAND |
Occurrence: 2, IN FLIGHT COLLISION WITH TERRAIN/WATER |
Phase of Operation: EMERGENCY LANDING |
Sequence of Events for Occurrence Number: 2 |
4 (Finding) TERRAIN CONDITIONS / HIGH VEGETATION / (0) |
5 (Finding) TERRAIN CONDITIONS / DITCH / (0) |
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