Additional Participating Entities:
Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Indianapolis - Plainfield, Indiana
Continental Motors; Mobile, Alabama
Aviation Accident Factual Report - National Transportation Safety Board: https://app.ntsb.gov/pdf
Investigation Docket - National Transportation Safety Board: https://dms.ntsb.gov/pubdms
https://registry.faa.gov/N4379L
Location: Rushville, IN
Accident Number: CEN18LA352
Date & Time: 08/27/2018, 1350 EDT
Registration: N4379L
Aircraft: Cessna 172
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Defining Event: Loss of engine power (total)
Injuries: 2 Minor
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General Aviation - Personal
On August 27, 2018, about 1350 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 172G , N4379L, sustained substantial damage when it was involved in an accident near Rushville, Indiana. The private pilot and the passenger sustained minor injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.
The pilot reported that the purpose of the flight was to fly cross-country to visit family members. She landed at the Greater Portsmouth Regional Airport (PMH), Portsmouth, Ohio, and topped off both fuel tanks. She then departed for her planned next stop at the Crawfordsville Municipal Airport (CFJ), Crawfordsville, Indiana.
After the departure climb from PMH, the engine temporarily "sputtered" and then operated normally. While in cruise flight about 2,900 ft above mean sea level (msl) and traveling about 85 kts with a heading of 300°, the engine "sputtered" and ceased producing power. The pilot stated the outside air temperature gauge indicated about 80° F and she did not believe the engine was experiencing carburetor icing conditions. The pilot did not remember what temperature the carburetor temperate gauge was displaying at the time. The engine power decreased to 1,500 rpm, then 1,000 rpm. The pilot advanced the mixture to the full rich position and the engine "smoothed out a little." As the airplane descended to 2,000 ft msl, the engine began "sputtering" again and the engine power decreased to about 1,000 rpm and ceased producing power. She attempted to troubleshoot the engine power loss without applying carburetor heat but was not successful in regaining engine power.
Although her aeronautical navigational chart showed a private airstrip close to her location for executing a forced landing, the pilot elected not to land there due to her airspeed and altitude, and instead choose to land in an open soybean field. During the forced landing sequence, she attempted to maneuver the airplane between a powerline pole and several trees. The airplane struck the powerlines and impacted the field, coming to rest in a slightly nose down attitude.
Two Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) aviation safety inspectors traveled to the accident site to document the wreckage. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings and the fuselage from the impact sequence. The inspectors noted that the both the left and right wing fuel tanks had not been breached and contained an adequate amount of usable fuel for the flight to CFJ.
An airframe and engine examination were performed by an airframe and powerplant mechanic under the supervision of the FAA. During the examination, no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures were noted with the airframe and engine. An examination of the airplane's maintenance records revealed no evidence of uncorrected mechanical discrepancies with the airframe and engine.
The airplane was equipped with an analog carburetor temperature gauge that was located on the right side of the cockpit, about 6 inches to the right and level with the base of the control yoke. The gauge displayed a temperature range of -20° C to 20° C, with a yellow arc range of -15° C to 5° C, and a green arc range from 5° C to 20° C. There was also a placard that read, "keep needle out of yellow arc during possible carburetor icing conditions."
At the time of the accident, the nearest weather reporting station at Shelbyville Municipal Airport (GEZ), Indiana, 17 miles west-southwest of the accident site, reported a dew point of 72° F.
Based on the weather conditions reported by the pilot and at GEZ, the carburetor icing probability chart from the FAA Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin CE-09-35 Carburetor Icing Prevention, showed a probability of serious icing at glide power.
Pilot Information
Certificate: Private
Age: 40, Female
Airplane Rating(s): Single-engine Land
Seat Occupied: Left
Other Aircraft Rating(s): None
Restraint Used:
Instrument Rating(s): None
Second Pilot Present: No
Instructor Rating(s): None
Toxicology Performed: No
Medical Certification: Class 3 Without Waivers/Limitations
Last FAA Medical Exam: 10/26/2017
Occupational Pilot: No
Last Flight Review or Equivalent:
Flight Time:
Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information
Aircraft Make: Cessna
Registration: N4379L
Model/Series: 172 G
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Year of Manufacture: 1966
Amateur Built: No
Airworthiness Certificate: Normal
Serial Number: 17254458
Landing Gear Type: Tricycle
Seats: 2
Date/Type of Last Inspection: 11/01/2017, Annual
Certified Max Gross Wt.: 2299 lbs
Time Since Last Inspection:
Engines: 1 Reciprocating
Airframe Total Time:
Engine Manufacturer: Continental Motors
ELT: Installed, activated, did not aid in locating accident
Engine Model/Series: O-300D
Registered Owner: On file
Rated Power: 145 hp
Operator: On file
Operating Certificate(s) Held: None
Meteorological Information and Flight Plan
Conditions at Accident Site: Visual Conditions
Condition of Light: Day
Observation Facility, Elevation: KGEZ, 804 ft msl
Distance from Accident Site: 23 Nautical Miles
Observation Time: 1753 UTC
Direction from Accident Site: 255°
Lowest Cloud Condition: Few / 4100 ft agl
Visibility: 10 Miles
Lowest Ceiling:
Visibility (RVR):
Wind Speed/Gusts: 13 knots / 20 knots
Turbulence Type Forecast/Actual: None / None
Wind Direction: 210°
Turbulence Severity Forecast/Actual: N/A / N/A
Altimeter Setting: 30.09 inches Hg
Temperature/Dew Point: 31°C / 22°C
Precipitation and Obscuration: No Obscuration; No Precipitation
Departure Point: Portsmouth, OH (PMH)
Type of Flight Plan Filed: VFR
Destination: Crawfordsville, IN (CFJ)
Type of Clearance: None
Departure Time: 1145 EDT
Type of Airspace: Class G
Wreckage and Impact Information
Crew Injuries: 1 Minor
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Passenger Injuries: 1 Minor
Aircraft Fire: None
Ground Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 2 Minor
Latitude, Longitude: 39.675000, -85.322222 (est)
Location: Rushville, IN
Accident Number: CEN18LA352Date & Time: 08/27/2018, 1350 EDT
Registration: N4379L
Aircraft: Cessna 172
Injuries: 2 Minor
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General Aviation - Personal
On August 27, 2018, about 1350 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 172G (Skyhawk) airplane, N4379L, lost engine power and impacted a remote soybean field about 8 miles northeast of Rushville, Indiana. The left seat private pilot and the right seat passenger sustained minor injuries, and the airplane sustained substantial damage. The airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a visual flight rules personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident, and no flight plan was filed. The flight originated from the Greater Portsmouth Regional Airport (PMH), Portsmouth, Ohio, about 1220.
The pilot reported that the purpose of the flight was to fly cross-country to visit family members. The pilot landed at PMH and topped off both fuel tanks. She reported that after refueling, she attempted to start the engine, and noted that the primer "didn't have much resistance." The airplane sat for about 10 minutes, the pilot started the airplane without further incident, and departed for the flight. During the second engine start sequence, she reported no abnormalities with the primer. The next planned stop after PMH was for Crawfordsville Municipal Airport (CFJ), Crawfordsville, Indiana.
After the departure climb from PMH, the engine temporarily "sputtered" and then operated normally. While in cruise flight about 2,900 ft above mean sea level (msl) and traveling about 85 knots with a heading of 300°, the engine "sputtered" and ceased producing power. The pilot stated the outside air temperature gauge indicated about 80° Fahrenheit and she did not believe the engine was experiencing carburetor icing conditions. The pilot did not remember what temperature the carburetor temperate gauge was displaying at the time. The engine speed decreased to 1,500 to 1,000 rpm. The pilot advanced the mixture to the full rich position and the engine "smoothed out a little." The airplane descended to about 2,000 ft msl and the engine began "sputtering" again and the engine speed decreased to about 1,000 rpm and ceased producing power. The pilot attempted to troubleshoot the engine power loss without applying carburetor heat but was not successful in regaining engine power.
The pilot reported that her aeronautical navigational chart displayed a private airstrip close to her current location for executing a forced landing. The pilot elected to not land at the private airstrip due to her airspeed and altitude, and instead choose to land to an open soybean field. During the forced landing sequence, she attempted to maneuver the airplane between a power line pole and several trees. The airplane impacted the powerlines and came to rest slightly nose down in the field. The pilot and passenger were able to egress from the airplane without further incident.
The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings and the fuselage from the impact sequence. On August 27, two aviation safety inspectors (ASI) from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Indianapolis Flight Standards District Office traveled to the accident site to document the wreckage and interview the two occupants. The ASIs noted that the both the left and right wing fuel tanks had an adequate amount of usable fuel for the flight to CFJ with no breaching of either fuel tank occurring. The wreckage was recovered from the accident site and transported to a secure location for a future examination of the airframe and engine.
On August 30, an airframe and engine examination were performed by an airframe and powerplant mechanic under the supervision of the FAA. During the examination, no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures were noted with the airframe and engine. An examination of the airplane's maintenance records revealed no evidence of uncorrected mechanical discrepancies with the airframe and engine.
The airplane was equipped with an analog carburetor temperature gauge. The gauge was located on the right side of the cockpit, about 6 inches to the right and level with the control yoke base. The gauge displayed a temperature range of -20° Celsius (C) to 20° C, with the displayed placard, "keep needle out of yellow arc during possible carburetor icing conditions." The yellow arc extends from -15° C to 5° C, and the green arc extends from 5° C to 20° C. Between the control yoke base and the carburetor temperature gauge was an engine cylinder temperature gauge, which was the same dimensions as the carburetor temperature gauge.
The four-seat capacity airplane, serial number 17254458, was manufactured in 1966. The airplane was equipped with a 145 horsepower Continental O-300 series carbureted engine.
Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information
Aircraft Make: Cessna
Registration: N4379L
Model/Series: 172 G
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Amateur Built: No
Operator: On file
Operating Certificate(s) Held: None
Meteorological Information and Flight Plan
Conditions at Accident Site: Visual Conditions
Condition of Light: Day
Observation Facility, Elevation: KGEZ, 804 ft msl
Observation Time: 1753 UTC
Distance from Accident Site: 23 Nautical Miles
Temperature/Dew Point: 31°C / 22°C
Lowest Cloud Condition: Few / 4100 ft agl
Wind Speed/Gusts, Direction: 13 knots / 20 knots, 210°
Lowest Ceiling:
Visibility: 10 Miles
Altimeter Setting: 30.09 inches Hg
Type of Flight Plan Filed: None
Departure Point: Portsmouth, OH (PMH)
Destination: Crawfordsville, IN (CFJ)
Wreckage and Impact Information
Crew Injuries: 1 Minor
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Passenger Injuries: 1 Minor
Aircraft Fire: None
Ground Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 2 Minor
Latitude, Longitude: 39.675000, -85.322222 (est)
The report of a plane that had gone down in rural Rush County was received at the Rush County Sheriff’s Department dispatch center shortly before 2 p.m. Monday.
The call resulted in multiple emergency departments respond to a bean field on CR 700E near CR 450S.
Once on the scene, responders found that a small, two-seat plane had crashed and both the pilot, Angela Winslow, 40, of Virginia, and her passenger, Eric Winslow, also of Virginia, were outside their plane.
According to Deputy Terry Drake of the Rush County Sheriff’s Department, the plane had left Fort Smith, Ohio, and was en route to Crawfordsville when Winslow stated she began having engine problems.
“She said she was losing power and altitude,” Drake said.
In her attempt to find a place to land, she was circling the area when the plane clipped a power line on the east side of CR 450E and then struck a glancing blow to the rural road before entering a bean field.
The crash extensively damaged the aircraft.
Following treatment at the scene by medical personnel from the Rushville Fire Department, the pilot was transported to Rush Memorial Hospital for a head laceration and other non-life threatening injuries. The full extent of her injuries was unknown at press time Monday. Her passenger was uninjured and after being treated at the scene, released at the scene.
Assisting at the scene were units from the Glenwood Volunteer Fire Department, RCSD, Indiana State Police, RFD EMS, Davis Towing, and Rush Shelby Energy. The crash will be investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board.
Original article ➤ http://www.rushvillerepublican.com
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