Piper PA-38-112 N2552C

Summary

On 4 August 2012 at about 17:40 local time, a Piper PA-38-112 registered N2552C, operated by Mason James F, was involved in an accident near Fate, Texas, 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

4 August 2012 at 17:40

Classification

Accident

Location

Fate, Texas, United States

Coordinates

32.9167, -96.3833

Aircraft

Piper PA-38-112

Registration

N2552C

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Mason James F

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Rockwall → Rockwall

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN12FA520

Nobody was injured.

A total loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined because postaccident examinations did not reveal any anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that he had been flying for about 30 minutes near a fresh water lake when he turned west toward the airport to practice takeoffs and landings. About 10 miles east of the airport at 2,300 feet mean sea level, the engine "stuttered," and the rpm dropped from 2,450 to 2,300 rpm. The pilot unsuccessfully tried to restore engine power. About 2 miles from the airport, the engine experienced a total loss of power. The pilot conducted a forced landing to a field, and the airplane nosed over during the landing roll. The examination of airplane's systems did not reveal any anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. The engine was test run on the airframe, and it ran normally with no anomalies noted. The pilot reported that 12 gallons of fuel were in the left tank and that 10 gallons of fuel were in the right tank at takeoff. The atmospheric conditions at the time of the accident were conducive to the accumulation of carburetor ice while operating at a sustained idle engine power setting. However, the engine power setting used during cruise flight would have been significantly higher than an idle engine setting; therefore, it is unlikely that carburetor ice accumulated during the accident.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.