ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 152637
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| Date: | Saturday 19 January 2013 |
| Time: | 16:05 |
| Type: |  Cessna 172F Skyhawk |
| Owner/operator: | Beale Aero Club |
| Registration: | N5208F |
| MSN: | 17253209 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1965 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 13841 hours |
| Engine model: | Continental O-300-D |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Yuba County Airport -KMYV, Marysville, CA -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Initial climb |
| Nature: | Ferry/positioning |
| Departure airport: | Beale Air Force, CA (BAB) |
| Marysville, CA (MYV) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The airplane had recently undergone an annual inspection, and the accident flight was the first flight since that maintenance was performed. After departure, the pilot made a 6-nautical-mile flight to another airport, at which point, he decided to perform several practice touch-and-go landings. Following a smooth landing, he configured the airplane for takeoff by confirming the fuel selector was positioned to both wing tanks and then applied full power. The airplane climbed to about 150 feet above ground level, and, then the engine suddenly experienced a total loss of power. The pilot could not restart the engine, and the airplane touched down in a muddy field and came to rest inverted.
The airplane’s fuel selector handle was designed to be affixed to its shaft via a spring pin that slides through a hole on the handle and shaft only when the handle is properly aligned with the shaft; the spring pin prevents the handle from being installed incorrectly. A postaccident examination revealed that the fuel selector handle had been installed 180 degrees out of alignment, which was only possible because the spring pin attaching the handle to the shaft had been modified. Disassembly of the fuel valve also revealed excessive wear to the internal mechanism.
The mechanic who conducted the airplane’s annual inspection reported that he had taken off the fuel selector handle to remove the panel and check for leaks. He checked the “off” position when receiving the airplane, but he did not check it after finishing the annual inspection. During postaccident examinations, the fuel flowed freely through the valve when the fuel selector handle was near the “off” position, and the fuel stopped flowing when the handle was in the “both” position consistent with the handle indicating an opposite selection. Although one of the magnetos had worn beyond service limits and was not producing an adequate spark, its failure was unlikely related to the total loss of engine power. It is likely that the mechanic improperly installed the fuel selector handle after taking it off during the annual inspection, which was only possible due to the incorrectly modified fuel selector handle assembly.
Probable Cause: A total loss of engine power during initial climb due to fuel starvation, which resulted from maintenance personnel’s improper installation of the fuel selector handle. Contributing to the accident was an incorrectly modified fuel selector handle assembly.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB
FAA register: http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=5208F
https://flightaware.com/live/flight/N5208F
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 20-Jan-2013 03:14 | gerard57 | Added |
| 20-Jan-2013 07:48 | gerard57 | Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, Source] |
| 20-Jan-2013 14:29 | Geno | Updated [Time, Aircraft type, Registration, Cn, Operator, Location, Phase, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:28 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
| 28-Nov-2017 14:05 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Operator, Other fatalities, Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
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