Cessna 172G N4289L

Summary

On 9 December 1989 at about 18:55 local time, a Cessna 172G registered N4289L, operated by Charles E. Michaud, was involved in an accident near Uxbridge, Massachusetts, United States. 3 people were on board and 2 were seriously injured, one had minor injuries. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

9 December 1989 at 18:55

Classification

Accident

Location

Uxbridge, Massachusetts, United States

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Cessna 172G

Registration

N4289L

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Charles E. Michaud

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Oxford → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

NYC90LA037

2 people were seriously injured.

ICE IN THE FUEL STRAINER, WHICH RESTRICTED FUEL FLOW & RESULTED IN FUEL STARVATION, AND THE PILOT INADVERTENTLY STALLED THE AIRPLANE, WHEN HE ABRUPTLY MANEUVERED IT TO AVOID A TRANSMISSION WIRE DURING A FORCED LANDING.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE PILOT STATED THAT HE HAD FULL FUEL ON BOARD BEFORE TAKEOFF. HE HAD BEEN FLYING FOR APPROXIMATELY 35 MINUTES, WHEN THE ENGINE BEGAN TO RUN ROUGH. HE APPLIED CARBURETOR HEAT, BUT THE ENGINE DID NOT RESPOND. HE ATTEMPTED TO LAND IN AN INDUSTRIAL PARK, BUT WAS HIGH. WHILE MANEUVERING, THE ENGINE QUIT AND THE PILOT BANKED STEEPLY TO THE RIGHT TO AVOID A POWERLINE. THE AIRPLANE STALLED AND STRUCK THE GROUND. POST ACCIDENT EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE AND FUEL SYSTEM REVEALED A LARGE PIECE OF ICE WAS ATTACHED TO THE FUEL STRAINER. THE ICE WAS OF SUFFICIENT SIZE TO BLOCK AT LEAST 50% OF THE FUEL FLOW.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.