Cessna 177RG N33224

Summary

On 28 October 2010 at about 14:45 local time, a Cessna 177RG registered N33224, operated by Panama City Beach Flying Club LLC, was involved in an accident near Bedford, Kentucky, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

28 October 2010 at 14:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Bedford, Kentucky, United States

Coordinates

38.6000, -85.3175

Aircraft

Cessna 177RG

Registration

N33224

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Panama City Beach Flying Club LLC

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Richmond → Shelbyville

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA11CA047

Nobody was injured.

The mechanic's failure to properly secure a fuel line when it was reinstalled during an engine inspection.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot stated that he filled the airplane's fuel tanks with full fuel prior to departing on the cross-country flight. Approximately 30 minutes into the flight, at an altitude of 3,000 feet above ground level, the engine suddenly stopped producing power. The pilot checked the fuel mixture and fuel selector settings and attempted to restore engine power but was unsuccessful. He maneuvered the airplane for a forced landing in a field and landed with the gear in the retracted position, resulting in substantial damage to the airplane's fuselage. Postaccident examination of the engine compartment by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector revealed that the flexible fuel hose that connects to the inlet fitting of the servo fuel injector was separated from the inlet fitting. No damage to any portion of the fitting or to the B-nut, or to the threads of the fitting or B-nut was noted, and there was no evidence of torque seal putty on the B-nut. There was no provision for safety wire to secure the B-nut. The most recent annual inspection was performed approximately 7 flight hours since the inspection. The mechanic who performed the annual inspection stated to an FAA inspector that he did remove the separated line during the inspection to gain access to the fuel inlet screen. He further stated that about the time of the inspection he incorporated a process of applying purple colored torque seal putty on components that he disassembled or removed.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.