Cessna 152 N49811

Summary

On 1 February 2008 at about 16:30 local time, a Cessna 152 registered N49811, operated by West Valley Flying Club, was involved in an accident near Palo Alto, California, 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

1 February 2008 at 16:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Palo Alto, California, United States

Nearest airport

Palo Alto Airport (PAO)

Coordinates

37.4500, -122.1000

Aircraft

Cessna 152

Registration

N49811

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

West Valley Flying Club

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Positioning

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Palo Alto → San Carlos

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX08LA055

Nobody was injured.

Loss of engine power during the takeoff initial climb due to lack of compression to a cylinder.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

Prior to the accident flight, a maintenance inspection was performed. A piece of the baffling was found in the throat of the carburetor venturi. The carburetor was inspected and reinstalled on the airplane. On the accident flight, the pilot/mechanic performed a post maintenance run-up with no mechanical problems noted. She taxied the airplane to the runway for takeoff and performed another run-up. Again there were no mechanical problems noted, and all the gages showed normal indications. On the takeoff roll the engine developed 2,300 rpm’s. About 500 feet mean sea level (msl), she noticed a hesitation in the engine and decided to make a 180-degree turn back to the runway. The airplane was still high on the approach, so the pilot reduced the airspeed, performed S-turns, and then slipped the airplane to lose altitude. She was still high, and about halfway down the runway, she further reduced the airspeed, which increased the sink rate. She lowered the nose to slow the sink rate, and was in the process of raising the nose again to flare for landing when the nose struck the runway. An inspection of the engine revealed zero compression of the number 1 cylinder with blow-by past the piston rings and exhaust valve. Maintenance personnel also noted that the bottom number 1 cylinder spark plug was "excessively" fouled with carbon deposits. There were no problems noted with the carburetor.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.