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| NTSB Identification: ANC96LA029. The docket is stored in the (offline) NTSB Imaging System. |
| Accident occurred Monday, March 04, 1996 at KETCHIKAN, AK |
| Aircraft: Cessna 172, registration: N739YR |
| Injuries: 1 Minor, 1 Uninjured |
| Event: 20001208X05339 Status: Final Report Approved On Thursday, September 19, 1996 |
| NTSB Preliminary Narrative (6120.19A) |
| On March 4, 1996, about 1633 Alaska standard time, a wheel equipped Cessna 172, N739YR, was ditched following a loss of engine power, |
| about 12 miles north of Ketchikan, Alaska. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) local area instructional flight when the |
| accident occurred. The airplane, operated by the first pilot, sustained substantial damage. The first pilot, a certificated airline transport pilot and |
| flight instructor, was not injured. The second pilot, a noncertificated student, received minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. |
| The flight originated at the Ketchikan airport about 1550. |
| In a telephone conversation on March 5, 1996, the first pilot reported to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge |
| (IIC) that he was occupying the right front seat and was providing a demonstration of departure stalls to the second pilot who was occupying |
| the left front seat. At the conclusion of the third stall, the first pilot added power about 1,800 feet mean sea level (MSL). The engine did not |
| respond and emergency procedures only restored partial power. The first pilot indicated that he applied carburetor heat during the |
| demonstration of stalls. The airplane continued to descend and the pilot declared an emergency "mayday" over the airplane radio. The pilot |
| selected an emergency landing area near the shore of Betton Island but noticed that the beach area contained large rocks. The pilot then |
| intentionally ditched the airplane about 30 yards from the shore. After touchdown in the water, both pilots swam to shore and the airplane sank. |
| A nearby float equipped airplane responded to the emergency call and picked up the two pilots. |
| After the airplane was recovered from the water, an engine examination was conducted on June 6, 1996, in Ketchikan. The examination was |
| supervised by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) airworthiness inspector from the Juneau Flight Standards District Office (FSDO). The |
| engine had been partially preserved after retrieval from the salt water. Gear and valve train continuity was established and thumb compression |
| was evident when the engine was rotated by hand. The magnetos were internally damaged by corrosion. The vacuum pump drive was |
| sheared. The engine oil filter was free of contaminants. |
| Fuel and water was found in the carburetor fuel line. The carburetor inlet screen was free of contaminants. The throttle and mixture cables |
| were attached to the carburetor. The carburetor accelerator pump and floats were undamaged. The carburetor heat assembly was crushed |
| and the carburetor heat control cable was broken about 2 inches from the its attach point on the assembly. The FAA inspector could not |
| determine if the broken carburetor heat cable occurred before or after impact with the water. |
| NTSB Final Narrative (6120.4) |
| The first pilot, a certificated flight instructor, was providing a demonstration of departure stalls to the second pilot, who was occupying the left |
| front seat. The instructor reported that he applied carburetor heat before beginning the demonstration. At the conclusion of the third stall, the first |
| pilot added power about 1,800 feet mean sea level (MSL). The engine did not respond, and emergency procedures only restored partial power. |
| The airplane continued to descend, and the pilot declared an emergency 'mayday' over the airplane radio. He selected an emergency landing |
| area near the shore of an island, but noticed that the beach area contained large rocks. The pilot then intentionally ditched the airplane about 30 |
| yards from the shore. After touchdown in the water, both pilots swam to shore and the airplane sank. A nearby float equipped airplane |
| responded to the emergency call and picked up the two pilots. An examination of the airplane did not locate a mechanical malfunction. The |
| reported temperature and dew point were 40 and -2 degrees, respectively, which were not conducive to carburetor icing. |
| NTSB Probable Cause Narrative |
| loss of engine power for undetermined reason(s). A factor relating to the accident was: the lack of a suitable area for an emergency landing. |
| Occurrences and Sequence of Events |
| Occurrence: 1, LOSS OF ENGINE POWER |
| Phase of Operation: MANEUVERING |
| Sequence of Events for Occurrence Number: 1 |
| 1 ( Cause ) REASON FOR OCCURRENCE UNDETERMINED / / |
| Occurrence: 2, FORCED LANDING |
| Phase of Operation: EMERGENCY DESCENT/LANDING |
| Occurrence: 3, DITCHING |
| Phase of Operation: EMERGENCY LANDING |
| Sequence of Events for Occurrence Number: 3 |
| 1 ( Factor ) TERRAIN CONDITIONS / NONE SUITABLE / (0) |
| 2 (Finding) TERRAIN CONDITIONS / WATER / (0) |
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