Cessna 177 N29304

Summary

On 17 August 2008 at about 01:30 local time, a Cessna 177 registered N29304 was involved in an accident near Glendale, Arizona, United States. One person was 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

17 August 2008 at 01:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Glendale, Arizona, United States

Nearest airport

Glendale Muni (GEU)

Coordinates

33.5267, -112.2950

Aircraft

Cessna 177

Registration

N29304

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Glendale → Mesa

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

SEA08CA180

Nobody was injured.

The loss of engine power due to vapor lock. Contributing to the accident was the high atmospheric temperature.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot said that following a successful run up, he departed from the airport. During the climb, the engine began to experience a partial loss of power and the pilot believed that it was due to vapor lock. The pilot verified the cockpit settings and leaned the mixture. The engine returned to normal power. Approximately 30 seconds later it happened again so the pilot leaned the mixture again. Power returned, but then it happened a third time. The pilot contacted the tower because the airplane was not climbing. He requested a return to the airport and turned back. Just after making the turn, the engine lost total power. The pilot force-landed the airplane in a field and the airplane impacted a fence. During the accident sequence, the firewall was buckled and the right wing leading edge was damaged. Post accident examination of the airplane and test run of the engine revealed no mechanical anomalies. The temperature at the time of the accident was 102 degrees Fahrenheit. A condition known as vapor lock can occur when the engine heats the fuel lines and the fuel in the lines becomes a vapor. This tendency is increased if the fuel in the tank is warm, commonly as a result of high atmospheric temperatures. The fuel vapor can result in partial or complete interruption of fuel flow to the engine.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.