Home Documents Images Message Board
(Use your browser's back button to return to the page that you were previously viewing.)
| NTSB Identification: DEN00LA091. The docket is stored in the (offline) NTSB Imaging System. |
| Accident occurred Friday, May 19, 2000 at LARKSPUR, CO |
| Aircraft: Cessna 172XP, registration: N758SZ |
| Injuries: 2 Uninjured |
| Event: 20001212X20981 Status: Final Report Approved On Tuesday, May 08, 2001 |
| NTSB Preliminary Narrative (6120.19A) |
| On May 19, 2000, at 0955 mountain daylight time, a Cessna 172XP, N758SZ, sustained substantial damage during a forced landing near Kelly Air |
| Park (U38), Larkspur, Colorado, when it nosed over on landing roll. The certified flight instructor and student pilot were not injured and no flight |
| plan was filed for this instructional flight operating under Title 14 CFR Part 91. The flight departed Centennial Airport, Englewood, Colorado, at |
| 0900. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. |
| According to the flight instructor, he reduced power to "just above" idle approximately 2,000 feet above ground level (agl) and was having his |
| student practice an engine out approach. The student set up for approach to an open field and the flight instructor said he checked the engine |
| once during the glide, which was described as being in excess of 2 miles. When the student added power at the termination of the approach, |
| the engine failed to respond. The instructor said he took control of the aircraft and decided to land in the field the student had picked during |
| practice. The field was soft and muddy and during landing roll, the nose landing gear dug in and the aircraft nosed over causing substantial |
| damage to the wings, fuselage, and empennage. |
| Examination of the aircraft/engine provided no evidence of an airframe or engine abnormality. It did provide evidence that the fuel boost pump |
| had been improperly wired so that it operated in high if either the "low" or "high" on position was selected. When the wiring was done was not |
| established, and the mixture setting being used by the pilot was also not established. The boost pump switch was found in the "low" position as |
| prescribed for the maneuver being conducted. |
| The closest weather reporting station, approximately 10 miles from the accident site, recorded a temperature of 82 degrees Fahrenheit and a |
| dew point of 55 degrees Fahrenheit during the time period when the accident took place. |
| NTSB Final Narrative (6120.4) |
| During a dual instructional flight, the flight instructor gave the student a practice engine out approach by reducing power to 'just above idle.' At |
| the completion of the maneuver, the student added power and the engine failed to respond. The instructor took control and conducted a forced |
| landing to the field the student was using as a target for his maneuver. The terrain was soft and the aircraft nosed over during landing roll. |
| Examination of the aircraft/engine, provided evidence the boost pump was improperly wired giving high boost when either high or low was |
| selected. The switch was found on the low selection as prescribed for the maneuver being conducted. When and who made the wiring |
| change was not determined. |
| NTSB Probable Cause Narrative |
| A forced landing on soft unsuitable terrain. Factors were improper wiring of the electric fuel boost pump, which produce high pressure when |
| either on position was selected causing the engine to flood during the practice engine out approach. |
| Occurrences and Sequence of Events |
| Occurrence: 1, LOSS OF ENGINE POWER |
| Phase of Operation: GO-AROUND (VFR) |
| Sequence of Events for Occurrence Number: 1 |
| 1 ( Factor ) FUEL SYSTEM, ELECTRIC BOOST PUMP / OTHER / (0) |
| 2 ( Factor ) ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ELECTRIC WIRING / IMPROPER / (0) |
| 3 ( Factor ) MAINTENANCE, INSTALLATION / IMPROPER / UNKNOWN |
| Occurrence: 2, FORCED LANDING |
| Phase of Operation: EMERGENCY DESCENT/LANDING |
| Occurrence: 3, ON GROUND/WATER ENCOUNTER WITH TERRAIN/WATER |
| Phase of Operation: LANDING - ROLL |
| Sequence of Events for Occurrence Number: 3 |
| 4 (Finding) TERRAIN CONDITIONS / OPEN FIELD / (0) |
| 5 ( Cause ) TERRAIN CONDITIONS / SOFT / (0) |
| 6 ( Cause ) TERRAIN CONDITIONS / NONE SUITABLE / (0) |
Home Documents Images Message Board
(Use your browser's back button to return to the page that you were previously viewing.)