Accident
On January 23, 2009, at 1554 central standard time, a Cessna 172E, registration N5420T, was substantially damaged during a forced landing following a loss of engine power. The accident occurred near Plano, Texas. The private pilot and passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight conducted under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. The flight originated from a private airfield near Powderly, Texas, and was en route to Dallas Air Park (F69), Dallas, Texas.
Pilot Report
While en route, the pilot informed air traffic controllers of an engine failure and attempted to restart the engine. Unable to restart it, the pilot performed a forced landing to a golf course. During the landing roll, the airplane entered a sand bunker, buckling the nose landing gear. The airplane came to rest nose low in the bunker, and the engine firewall sustained substantial damage. The pilot and passenger egressed normally.
The pilot reported that the airplane was last "topped off" two days prior at Cobb's Field (PRX), Paris, Texas. He flew from PRX to Parker County Airport (WEA), Weatherford, Texas, and later from WEA to a private airstrip near Powderly, Texas. He estimated flying 2 1/2 to 2 3/4 hours and using about 20 to 22 gallons of fuel before departing the private airstrip. He departed with 17 gallons and flew approximately 50 to 55 minutes toward F69 before the loss of engine power. The pilot normally planned a fuel consumption rate of 8 gallons per hour.
Fuel Examination
Upon recovery, approximately 3 gallons of fuel was recovered from the airplane. A small, unmeasured amount drained from the fuel lines during disassembly. An on-scene examination by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector did not identify a fuel leak or fuel residue from the fuel tank drains. The golf course manager reported that the sand bunker was examined and found free of fuel contamination.
Engine Examination
An engine run was conducted under supervision of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the FAA. The engine remained attached via engine mounts; the wings had been removed. A fuel container fed fuel to the fuel lines at the left and right wing attachment points. The gascolator was found approximately 1/3 full of fuel. The carburetor had a broken attachment flange and was replaced with a test carburetor. The engine with the test carburetor started and ran normally at various throttle settings. Fuel tank selection through BOTH, LEFT, and RIGHT did not cause hesitation. Magneto drops were 50 to 75 rpm per magneto.
The accident carburetor was turned upside-down; only a few drops drained. A temporary repair was applied, and a second engine run with the repaired carburetor also showed normal operation. A review of the aircraft's type certificate data sheet indicated unusable fuel in a Cessna 172E is 3 gallons. Attempts to obtain a completed Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report from the pilot were unsuccessful.