Cessna 120 N3010N

Summary

On 21 January 1992 at about 00:02 local time, a Cessna 120 registered N3010N, operated by Andrew J. Bowe, JR, was involved in an accident near Sonoma, California, United States. 2 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

21 January 1992 at 00:02

Classification

Accident

Location

Sonoma, California, United States

Coordinates

38.2407, -122.4598

Aircraft

Cessna 120

Registration

N3010N

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Andrew J. Bowe, JR

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX92LA097

Nobody was injured.

ENGINE FAILURE DUE TO A BINDING MIXTURE CONTROL SHAFT. THE BINDING MIXTURE CONTROL SHAFT WAS THE RESULT OF INADEQUATE MAINTENANCE WHICH ALLOWED THE ACCUMULATION OF MOISTURE AND WATER IN THE CARBURETOR TO REMAIN FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME CAUSING RUST AND CORROSION. A FACTOR IN THE ACCIDENT WAS THE UNSUITABLE NATURE OF THE TERRAIN FOR THE FORCED LANDING ATTEMPT.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE PILOT AND PASSENGER DEPARTED FOR A LOCAL FLIGHT TO PRACTICE LANDINGS. AT ABOUT 200 TO 300 FEET AGL ON THE CROSSWIND LEG, THE ENGINE QUIT. AN ATTEMPT TO RESTART THE ENGINE FAILED AND THE PILOT LANDED THE AIRCRAFT IN A PASTURE WHICH WAS SLOPED, ROUGH AND HAD A DRY CREEK BED IN IT. UPON REACHING THE CREEK BED, THE AIRPLANE NOSED OVER. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT REVEALED THAT THE CARBURETOR MIXTURE CONTROL LINKAGE WAS FROZEN AND WOULD NOT RESPOND TO MOVEMENT OF THE COCKPIT CONTROL. DISASSEMBLY OF THE CARBURETOR REVEALED EVIDENCE OF MOISTURE AND WATER CONTAMINATION, ACCUMULATED OVER AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME, WHICH CAUSED RUST, CORROSION AND BINDING OF THE MIXTURE CONTROL SHAFT IN THE LEAN TO NEAR IDLE CUTOFF POSITION. EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE RECORDS REVEALED THAT THE LAST TIME THE CARBURETOR WAS OVERHAULED WAS ABOUT JUNE 2, 1983, WHILE INSTALLED IN AN EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT. THE ENGINE WAS INSTALLED IN THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT ON MAY 17, 1991, AFTER ACCUMULATING ABOUT 132 HOURS IN ABOUT 8 YEARS AND 6 MONTHS. THE MANUFACTURER RECOMMENDS THAT THE CARBURETOR BE OVERHAULED EVERY 5 CALENDER YEARS.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.