Cessna 150J N60276

Summary

On 17 February 2012 at about 17:07 local time, a Cessna 150J registered N60276, operated by David Matthews, was involved in an accident near Jasper, Georgia, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 were seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

17 February 2012 at 17:07

Classification

Accident

Location

Jasper, Georgia, United States

Nearest airport

Pickens County Airport (JZP)

Coordinates

34.4533, -84.4572

Aircraft

Cessna 150J

Registration

N60276

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

David Matthews

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Jasper → Jasper

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA12LA186

2 people were seriously injured.

The pilots' inadequate preflight inspection that failed to detect water-contaminated fuel, which resulted in a total loss of engine power.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot and the flight instructor reported that they conducted an extensive preflight inspection and filled the fuel tanks with fuel prior to departure for the pilot’s biennial flight review in the newly purchased airplane. They further reported that they sumped the fuel tanks before and after the refueling and noted no water or contamination. The takeoff was uneventful, and they remained in the traffic pattern to practice takeoffs and landings. While on final approach for the first landing, the pilot added power, and the engine subsequently sputtered and lost power. The flight instructor completed a forced landing to a field, and, during the landing roll, the airplane impacted a truck. Postaccident examination of the airplane and engine revealed large amounts of water in the fuel strainer bowl and carburetor bowl. Additionally, corrosion was observed inside the fuel tanks and the fuel strainer bowl, and the fuel cap gaskets appeared stiff and cracked. The airplane’s most recent annual inspection was completed about 6 months before the accident. The airplane had been stored outside while it was for sale, and it had only accumulated 4 hours of flight time in the previous 2 years and had not flown at all in the 3 months preceding the accident. Given the amount of water in the carburetor bowl and fuel strainer bowl, the poor condition of the fuel cap gaskets, and the presence of corrosion in the fuel tanks and fuel strainer bowl, it is likely that water had entered the fuel system during the time the airplane was stored outside. Further, it is unlikely that the pilots conducted a thorough preflight inspection, otherwise the water would have been detected.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.