History of Flight
On October 12, 2008, about 1050 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 172N, N734BL, was substantially damaged during a forced landing in an athletic field shortly after takeoff from Kissimmee Gateway Airport (ISM) in Orlando, Florida. The certificated private pilot, who was also the owner and sole occupant, was seriously injured. The personal flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91 in visual meteorological conditions; no flight plan was filed.
The pilot stored the airplane outside at ISM. He stated that although he did not fly it much in the preceding year, he occasionally ran the engine on the ground. He believed the airplane had not been flown in the 10 months before the day prior to the accident. Two days before the accident, the pilot asked a maintenance technician to order fuel, and 32 gallons were added that evening. The next day, the technician told the pilot that after refueling, he had drained a "significant amount" of water from the tanks and fuel strainer. The pilot conducted a preflight inspection, sampling fuel from both tank sump drains without seeing water, and also drained some fuel from the strainer without capturing it. He then performed about five uneventful takeoffs and landings, lasting about half an hour, and parked the airplane.
On the accident day, the pilot returned intending to fly to Huntsville, Alabama. He performed another preflight inspection, again sampling both tank sumps (no water observed) and draining the strainer without capturing the fuel. He did not contact Lockheed Martin Flight Services for a briefing or flight plan.
Witnesses at the airport reported that the airplane began its takeoff roll near the threshold of runway 6 and became airborne before crossing runway 15/33. Shortly after, it began losing altitude and drifting southeast. The pilot declared an emergency on the ISM tower frequency. One witness reported a sharp left bank followed by a rapid descent. Witnesses near the athletic field said the airplane appeared to attempt a landing but struck a sports goal post. Accounts differed on whether the impact occurred in flight or after touchdown, and some reported a bounce. The airplane came to rest upright on the field, about 1/4 mile beyond the departure end of runway 6.
Personnel Information
FAA records showed the pilot held a private pilot certificate with an airplane single-engine land rating. His most recent third-class medical certificate was issued in October 2006, at which time he reported 1,200 total flight hours. The pilot's logbook recorded 12 flights totaling 10.7 hours in 2006 (three entries missing times), one flight in 2007 (1.5 hours on January 1), and no entries for 2008. All entries indicated flights in the accident airplane.
Aircraft Information
The 1977 Cessna 172N was equipped with a Lycoming O-320 H2AD engine. The pilot had owned it since 1984. The most recent annual inspection was completed two days before the accident. At the time of the accident, the tachometer read 886.9 hours, and the hour meter read 830.1 hours. The airplane had operated 0.7 hours since the annual inspection.
Meteorological Information
ISM weather observations on October 9 reported light rain; on October 10, light rain was reported, ending about 1915. No rain was reported on October 11 or 12. At 1050 on the accident day, the special observation reported wind from 010° at 10 knots, scattered clouds at 1,800 feet, broken layers at 2,400 and 3,000 feet, 10 miles visibility, temperature 28°C, dew point 23°C, and altimeter 30.10 inHg.
Communications
At about 1044, the pilot contacted ground control for taxi clearance. He was instructed to taxi to runway 6, hold short, then cleared to cross with no delay. At about 1050, he told the local controller he was ready for departure, was instructed to hold short of runway 6, and about one minute later was cleared for takeoff. About 90 seconds after that, the pilot declared an emergency without finishing his sentence. The controller replied, "who has the emergency," but received no response. At 1053, the controller called "november seven three four, Kissimmee tower, can you hear me sir," but no further transmissions from the airplane were received. About 30 seconds later, the controller informed another aircraft that the accident airplane had crashed.
Wreckage and Impact
The airplane came to rest upright on a southerly heading, nose down about 30°. The nose landing gear and lower cowl were crushed upward and aft; main landing gear struts were intact but the left strut was deformed upward about 20°. The windshield was fractured and separated. The right horizontal stabilizer was crushed down and aft. Both wings had crumpled upper inboard skins and were rotated about 5° trailing edge down. Witnesses, first responders, and recovery personnel reported fuel leaking from the left wing. The fuel selector handle was found in the "both" position and was moved to "off." No fire occurred.
Postaccident examination on October 15, 2008, by FAA, Cessna, and Lycoming personnel revealed extensive paint chalking and missing paint. One propeller blade was bent aft, the other undamaged. No preimpact mechanical anomalies that would have prevented power production were noted. Engine rotation produced thumb compression and spark at each cylinder. Flight control cable continuity was confirmed except for one flap cable separated by tensile overload.
Both fuel tank caps were locked in place. The left cap was loose, allowing insertion of a 0.028-inch feeler gauge. The right cap fit normally. No assessment of the gaskets' condition or expiration was made.
The left fuel tank was empty. Samples from the right tank, fuel strainer, and carburetor contained "several ounces of a yellowish liquid with dirt deposits." Blue liquid (indicating avgas) floated on top, and water-indicating paste confirmed water in the yellowish liquid.
Additional Information
Maintenance records showed gaps in history. The left wing was replaced in July 1986. A September 2003 document noted replacement of rusty fuel tank cover screws and included a technician's note about repairing a patch on the left wing. Records indicated tachometer readings of 847 hours in September 2003, 866.9 in January 2005, and 881.3 in January 2006. The October 10, 2008 annual inspection recorded 886.2 hours and 1,458.1 total time. Several components were replaced, but a "top overhaul" entry (39.2 hours prior) lacked supporting records.
The airplane had two fuel tanks (43 gallons total, 40 usable), each with a sump drain. The fuel selector had four positions. The POH preflight procedure called for draining a small quantity from tank sumps and the fuel strainer before the first flight of the day and after refueling, with further draining if water was found. Manufacturer service information letters (SEL80-87, SE82-36, SE82-34) emphasized draining for contaminants, ensuring cap sealing, and inspecting cap seals.
FAA AD 2000-06-01 required measuring the fuel strainer standpipe; the October 2008 compliance record annotated "N/A, Parts not installed," though examination showed the standpipe height of 1.66 inches met design specifications.
Fuel from the FBO complied with standards. However, the pilot told investigators he "typically" obtained about a 1-inch column of water in the sample container when sumping the left tank. He believed the fuel cap gaskets were replaced during a recent annual inspection, but records only showed purchase of two gaskets in December 2002 without evidence of installation.