Cessna 172N accident near Colorado Spgs, CO
On September 1, 1995, a Cessna 172N (airplane) was involved in an accident near Colorado Spgs, CO. 2 people were seriously injured. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- September 1, 1995
- Place
- Colorado Spgs, CO
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172N · Airplane
- Injuries
- 0 fatal, 2 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 38.810°N, 104.711°W
- NTSB ID
- 20001207X04488
NTSB summary
On September 1, 1995, at 0737 mountain daylight time, a Cessna 172N, N4814F, was destroyed when it collided with terrain after taking off from Colorado Springs, Colorado. The commercial pilot and passenger were seriously injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight being conducted under Title 14 CFR Part 91. The flight was originating when the accident occurred. In the Pilot/Operator Report, the pilot could not recall any of the accident details other than having initiated a left turn "back towards the runway." The pilot's father recalled that there had been a power loss, "as if the power had been brought back to idle." Control tower personnel observed the airplane take off on runway 35L, but it did not appear to be climbing. They asked the pilot if he was having difficulty or if he wanted to land. The pilot said he did not need any help. The left wing was then seen to drop and the airplane collided with terrain. The on-scene examination by a Federal Aviation Administration operations inspector disclosed the mixture control was in the "FULL RICH" position. A piece of baffle seal material, measuring approximately 4 inches by 3/8 inch was found lodged upstream from the venturi in the air intake side of the carburetor throat, between the accelerator pump discharge tube and the power jet. A similar piece of material was found missing from the carburetor heat air box. The elevation at Colorado Springs Municipal Airport is 6,172 feet above mean sea level (MSL). The undisturbed carburetor and carburetor heat air box were
Probable cause
BLOCKAGE OF THE CARBURETOR BY A PIECE OF FOREIGN MATERIAL, WHICH RESULTED IN A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER, AND FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN AIRSPEED, WHICH RESULTED IN AN INADVERTENT STALL. THE HIGH DENSITY ALTITUDE AND THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO PROPERLY LEAN THE FUEL MIXTURE WERE POSSIBLE FACTORS.
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Browse: Colorado · Cessna aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
