Cessna 170 N2561V

Summary

On 11 July 2012 at about 15:53 local time, a Cessna 170 registered N2561V was involved in an accident near Panama City, Florida, United States. One person was on board and one was seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

11 July 2012 at 15:53

Classification

Accident

Location

Panama City, Florida, United States

Nearest airport

Sandy Creek Airpark (75FL)

Coordinates

30.1014, -85.4739

Aircraft

Cessna 170

Registration

N2561V

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Ferry

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Panama City → Andalusia

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA12LA440

1 person was seriously injured.

A total loss of engine power due to water contamination of the fuel, the pilot/owner's inadequate preflight inspection of his airplane, and his failure to maintain airplane control after the engine failure.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airplane was parked outdoors for an extended period of time. The pilot/owner spent 2 days alternately draining water-contaminated fuel and test running the airplane’s engine several times. The pilot stated that he drained one fuel tank completely because the fuel appeared to be “milky” and serviced that tank with 10 gallons of fuel, but he later amended his statement and said he drained both tanks completely before he serviced them with "a combination of Jerry cans and a friend's pickup-mounted fuel tank." He then departed. The airplane experienced a total loss of engine power immediately after takeoff. The pilot attempted to return to the airport but landed in a retention pond short of the runway. The pilot reported that he performed a “shallow” turn to return to the airport, but a witness described “an abrupt/steep left-hand turn” followed by a ''stall" and descent to water contact. No preimpact mechanical anomalies were noted that would have precluded normal operation. After the accident, the engine was placed in a test cell where it started immediately, accelerated smoothly, and ran continuously without interruption. The manufacturer and the FAA have published letters, bulletins, and advisories that provided guidance to prevent accidents due to water contamination of the fuel system. It is likely that the pilot did not drain all the water-contaminated fuel from the airplane before departure, which led to the loss of engine power after takeoff.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.