Cessna 152 N49108

Summary

On 17 June 2013 at about 19:40 local time, a Cessna 152 registered N49108, operated by Alpha Tango Flying Service, Inc., was involved in an accident near Carrizo Springs, Texas, United States. 2 people were 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

17 June 2013 at 19:40

Classification

Accident

Location

Carrizo Springs, Texas, United States

Nearest airport

Dimmit County Airport (KCZT)

Coordinates

28.5222, -99.8236

Aircraft

Cessna 152

Registration

N49108

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Alpha Tango Flying Service, Inc.

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Positioning

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Carrizo Springs → San Antonio

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN13LA354

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s failure to identify the water contamination of the fuel system during his preflight inspection, which resulted in a total loss of engine power during the airplane’s initial climb.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that after an initial preflight of the airplane, he had the fuel tanks topped off with aviation fuel. He then completed another preflight inspection that included straining the fuel and rechecking the engine oil. The pilot stated that there were no anomalies with engine operation during his before-takeoff engine run-up or during takeoff; however, during the initial climb, when the airplane was about 300 feet above the ground, the engine experienced a total loss of power. The pilot was unable to restore engine power as he maneuvered the airplane to a nearby dirt road for an off-airport landing. The airplane impacted terrain after the right wing collided with tree branches during the forced landing. A postaccident examination revealed a significant amount of water contamination in the airplane’s fuel system. The airport’s fuel service truck was checked for water contamination; however, no water contamination was present in samples obtained after the accident. A review of available rainfall data indicated that 5 to 7 inches of rain had fallen since the airplane had last been flown. The loss of engine power was likely due to water contamination of the fuel system. The amount of water contamination that was detected in the fuel system after the accident should have been identified by the pilot during a normal preflight inspection. The engine examination did not reveal any preimpact anomalies that would have prevented normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.