Cessna 172N N733KP

Summary

On 24 March 2022 at about 22:30 local time, a Cessna 172N registered N733KP was involved in an accident near Springtown, Texas, United States. 2 people were on board and one 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

24 March 2022 at 22:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Springtown, Texas, United States

Coordinates

33.0112, -97.6944

Aircraft

Cessna 172N

Registration

N733KP

Category

Airplane

Year built

1976

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Bridgeport → Forth Worth

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN22LA156

1 person had minor injuries.

A total loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The flight instructor and student pilot were conducting an instructional flight. The instructor stated that, about 7 minutes after departure and while the airplane was in level flight at 3,500 ft mean sea level, the engine sputtered and the airplane was unable to maintain altitude. The instructor assumed control of the airplane from the student pilot at that time. She performed several troubleshooting steps; however, engine power was not restored. During the descent, the propeller windmilled and, according to the instructor, “the engine would catch” randomly and “operate for a few moments,” but the engine would lose power each time. The instructor also stated that, during a discussion with the student pilot, he indicated that, when he pulled the throttle to idle, the engine “would smooth out somewhat, but would start missing” when the throttle was pushed forward. The instructor executed a forced landing to a field, and the airplane nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, empennage, and both wings The atmospheric conditions at the time of the accident were not conducive to the development of carburetor icing. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that there was uncontaminated fuel available in the engine and that there was no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. As a result, the reason for the total loss of engine power could not be determined.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.