ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 135329
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| Date: | Monday 1 September 2003 |
| Time: | 11:30 |
| Type: |  Cessna 172F |
| Owner/operator: | Private |
| Registration: | N8578U |
| MSN: | 17252478 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1965 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 2247 hours |
| Engine model: | Continental O-360-A3A |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Fajardo -
 Puerto Rico
|
| Phase: | Initial climb |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Fajardo, PR (TJFA) |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
According to the pilot, after taking off, at an altitude of about 300 feet, the airplane's engine lost power. The pilot performed a 180-degree turn back to the runway, but due to the low altitude was unable to reach the runway. He elected to land in a field about 1/2 mile from the runway. The pilot explained it had been close to 3 weeks since the airplane had last been flown. He said he drained large quantities of water from both the left and right wing fuel tank sump ports. He fueled the airplane with a total of about 29 gallons of 100 LL aviation fuel and drained a total of a gallon of fuel from both wing tanks, with "no" indication of water in the fuel. The individual who recovered the airplane from the field stated when up righting the engine, a noticeable amount of water poured out of the carburetor. An Airframe and Power plant mechanic stated to the Federal Aviation Administration inspector that when the carburetor bowl drain plug was removed, only water came out of it, no fuel at all. At the time of the accident no water was utilized at the seen. Weather reports support that there was no rain in the area between the accident and the time the airplane was removed from the farm.
Probable Cause: The pilot's inadequate aircraft preflight resulting in the airplane being operated with water contamination in the fuel system, and the loss of engine power.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB: https://www.ntsb.gov/_layouts/ntsb.aviation/brief.aspx?ev_id=20030905X01472&key=1
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 21-Dec-2016 19:26 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
| 08-Dec-2017 19:28 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Other fatalities, Departure airport, Source, Narrative] |
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