Cessna 172N N73849

Summary

On 9 January 1985 at about 23:30 local time, a Cessna 172N registered N73849 was involved in an accident near Houston, Texas, United States. One person was on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

9 January 1985 at 23:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Houston, Texas, United States

Coordinates

29.9292, -95.6008

Aircraft

Cessna 172N

Registration

N73849

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Unknown

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Dusk

NTSB number

FTW85LA095

1 person had minor injuries.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. No probable cause statement is present in the source data.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

INITIALLY, AFTER A TOP OVERHAUL, THE ENG WOULD NOT RUN. THE MECHANIC REMOVED THE CARBURETOR & FOUND A PIECE OF SILICON. AFTER REINSTALLING THE CARBURETOR, THE ENG OPERATED NORMALLY. THE PLT THEN TOOK OFF ON A MAINTENANCE TEST FLT. AS HE BEGAN A DESCENT BACK TOWARD THE ARPT, THE ENG STOPPED RUNNING & WOULD NOT RESTART, EXCEPT IT RESTARTED MOMENTARILY WHEN HE OPERATED THE PRIMER. DURING AN EMERGENCY LANDING, THE ACFT HIT A RICE FIELD LEVEE & NOSED OVER. AN EXAM REVEALED THAT THE FUEL LINE HAD BECOME DISCONNECTED FROM THE CARBURETOR AT A THREADED FITTING. A LABORATORY EXAM OF THE THREADED FITTING REVEALED A LACK OF SMEARING OR SCRATCHING THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN PRESENT IF THE FITTING HAD BEEN PROPERLY TORQUED.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.