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| Date: | Friday 18 July 1997 |
| Time: | 18:09 LT |
| Type: |  Cessna 170 |
| Owner/operator: | Private |
| Registration: | N4292V |
| MSN: | 18650 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1948 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 2074 hours |
| Engine model: | Continental C145 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 3 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Graham, WA -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Cougar Mountain, WA |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
During cruise flight, approximately 9 minutes after takeoff, the engine RPM dropped to 800 RPM without a throttle reduction, and would not recover despite the pilot's efforts at corrective action. The pilot made a forced landing over power lines into a soft field. The aircraft's right main landing gear collapsed during the forced landing. The pilot reported that there were 20 gallons of fuel on board at takeoff. On-site and follow-up examinations revealed that the aircraft's left wing fuel tank was empty, that the right wing tank contained 11 to 12 gallons of fuel which was contaminated with about 3 pints of water, and that water was also present in the carburetor. The pilot reported that his preflight actions included checking oil and performing a sump drain.
Probable Cause: Inadequate aircraft preflight by the pilot-in-command, and water contamination in the fuel resulting in a loss of engine power. A factor was a power transmission line in the forced landing area.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB SEA97LA173
History of this aircraft
Other occurrences involving this aircraft
| 2 January 1983 | N4292V | Private | 0 | Plato Center, IL | |
sub |
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 12-Mar-2024 13:01 | ASN Update Bot | Added |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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