Cessna 172P N9551L

Summary

On 26 March 2014 at about 17:43 local time, a Cessna 172P registered N9551L, operated by Trend Vector Aviation INT, was involved in an accident near Inarajan, United States. 3 people were 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

26 March 2014 at 17:43

Classification

Accident

Location

Inarajan, United States

Coordinates

13.2928, 144.7345

Aircraft

Cessna 172P

Registration

N9551L

Category

Airplane

Year built

1986

Engines

1

Operator

Trend Vector Aviation INT

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Barrigada → Barrigada

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR14LA147

Nobody was injured.

A total loss of engine power during cruise flight for reasons that could not be determined because postaccident examination 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 was performing an introductory flight lesson for a prospective student pilot and a passenger. The pilot reported that, about 20 minutes after takeoff, while in cruise flight, the engine began producing only partial power. The pilot performed troubleshooting steps, including applying carburetor heat, but the engine did not respond and subsequently lost total power. He performed a forced landing into a field of tall grass. The airplane came to rest nose down after the nose gear dug into the ground, which resulted in substantial damage. A postaccident examination of the engine and airframe revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. The operator's mechanic reported that the airplane's fuel tank vent line was partially blocked; however, the airplane was equipped with a secondary vented fuel cap, so it is unlikely that fuel starvation occurred.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.