Cessna 172 N8370X

Summary

On 9 August 2015 at about 15:00 local time, a Cessna 172 registered N8370X, operated by Leon-Caballero Luis E, was involved in an accident near Kissimmee, 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

9 August 2015 at 15:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Kissimmee, Florida, United States

Nearest airport

Kissimmee Gateway (ISM)

Coordinates

28.0000, -81.0000

Aircraft

Cessna 172

Registration

N8370X

Category

Airplane

Year built

1961

Engines

1

Operator

Leon-Caballero Luis E

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Kissimmee → Kissimmee

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA15LA301

1 person was seriously injured.

The student pilot's inadequate preflight inspection of the fuel system, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel contamination.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The student pilot/owner stated that it had rained a lot the week before the accident but that he had sumped the airplane's fuel drains before the flight and found no water or debris. He subsequently began practicing touch-and-go landings. While the airplane was on an extended downwind, the engine stopped producing power. The pilot declared an emergency and attempted a forced landing to the runway. However, the airplane struck a tree and impacted terrain just short of the runway. During a postaccident examination of the engine, an excessive amount of water was found in both fuel tanks and the carburetor. A small amount of rust-colored debris was also noted in the water drained from the carburetor, and two 1/2-inch-thick pieces of rust buildup were noted along the wall of the carburetor bowl. Based on the amount of water found in the fuel system, it is likely that the engine had ingested water and that the student pilot's preflight inspection was inadequate because he failed to detect the water contamination, which resulted in a total loss of engine power.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.