Cessna 172F N5208F

Summary

On 20 January 2013 at about 00:05 local time, a Cessna 172F registered N5208F, operated by Beale Aero Club, was involved in an accident near Marysville, California, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

20 January 2013 at 00:05

Classification

Accident

Location

Marysville, California, United States

Nearest airport

Yuba County Airport (MYV)

Coordinates

39.0978, -121.5697

Aircraft

Cessna 172F

Registration

N5208F

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Beale Aero Club

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Positioning

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Beale Air Force → Marysville

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR13LA098

2 people had minor injuries.

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.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

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.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.