Cessna 172 N3964L

Summary

On 8 January 2022 at about 20:30 local time, a Cessna 172 registered N3964L was involved in an accident near Youngstown, Ohio, United States. 3 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

8 January 2022 at 20:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Youngstown, Ohio, United States

Coordinates

41.1368, -80.6174

Aircraft

Cessna 172

Registration

N3964L

Category

Airplane

Year built

1966

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Flight Test

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN22LA098

Nobody was injured.

A loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined based on available information, which resulted in a forced landing.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported he departed with 7 gallons of automotive fuel in the right fuel tank and 5.8 gallons of automotive fuel gallons in the left fuel tank and that he checked the fuel levels with a sight gauge. The right fuel gauge indicated “one quarter of a tank” and the left fuel gauge indicated “slightly less than half a tank.” After the completion of the local flight, the pilot entered the downwind leg of the traffic pattern. At the midfield point, the pilot added 10° flaps and applied full carburetor heat. The engine then “stumbled and quit.” The pilot attempted to restart the engine to no avail. The pilot had the fuel tank selector in the BOTH position. The pilot increased the flaps to 40° and executed a teardrop-style left turn to the runway. The airplane “floated long” and landed on airport property beyond the runway into trees, at stall speed. The airplane came to rest with the left wing pointing down toward the ground and the right wing toward the sky. The three occupants were able to egress from the airplane without further incident. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing and fuselage. Postaccident examination of the airplane found both fuel tanks intact, with no signs of a fuel leak on the airframe. About a quarter of a gallon of fuel was drained from the right fuel tank and about four gallons of fuel was drained from the left fuel tank. The fuel tank selector was found in the BOTH position. Airframe to engine control continuity was confirmed. An examination of the engine revealed no mechanical anomalies. The reason for the loss of engine power could not be determined based on the available evidence. A review of the meteorological conditions near the time of the accident, showed that the formation of carburetor icing was not likely for the usage of aviation gasoline. However, the airplane was modified to use automotive gasoline, which the pilot used to fill the airplane with prior to the flight. References have stated that carburetor icing will occur in less time and at higher ambient temperatures with automotive gasoline than with aviation gasoline. Based on the available evidence, it could not be determined what, if any role, carburetor icing may have played in the accident.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.