ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 45055
Last updated: 20 May 2013
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| Date: | 09-OCT-2003 |
| Time: | 1720 |
| Type: |  Cessna 177B |
| Operator: | private |
| Registration: | N30921 |
| C/n / msn: | 17701546 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 3 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Airplane damage: | Written off (damaged beyond repair) |
| Location: | Chinook, MT -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Great Falls, MT (GTF) |
| Poplar, MT (42S) |
While in cruise flight the aircraft suddenly lost all engine power, and after unsuccessfully attempting to get the engine restarted, the pilot attempted a forced landing on a nearby gravel road. During that attempt, the pilot failed to adequately compensate for strong crosswinds, and therefore inadvertently clipped the top of a tree that was located immediately adjacent to the approach end of the section of road he was trying to land upon. A post-accident inspection of the engine determined that the carburetor had separated from the engine in cruise flight, due to the fact that there were no longer any nuts on any of the four carburetor mount retaining lug bolts. The carburetor mounting flange holes all remained intact, and none of the four mounting bolts showed any signs of damaged or distorted threads. Recent use of Marihuana was determined to have impaired the pilot's judgment at the time he was attempting the forced landing. CAUSE: The total loss of engine power in cruise flight due to the separation of the carburetor from its mounting bolts, and the pilot's failure to adequately compensate for strong crosswinds while attempting the subsequent forced landing. Additional factors include strong crosswinds, a tree immediately adjacent to the gravel road that the pilot chose to land on, and the pilot's impairment due to recent use of Marihuana.
Sources:
http://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief.asp?ev_id=20031017X01769&key=1
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 28-Oct-2008 00:45 | ASN archive | Added |
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