Accident Details
On October 10, 2010, about 1210 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 172SP, N423FT, performed an emergency landing next to a roadway and nosed over in a canal near Boynton Beach, Florida. The airplane had departed Ft. Lauderdale Executive Airport (FXE) with a destination of Palm Beach County Airpark (LNA). Visual meteorological conditions prevailed; no flight plan was filed for the personal flight. The pilot was not injured. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing. The flight was operated under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.
Pilot Information
The pilot, age 48, held a private pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single- and multiengine land. His most recent FAA third class medical certificate was issued on September 27, 2010, and his most recent flight review was conducted on September 30, 2010, in the same make and model as the accident airplane. A review of the pilot's flight logbook revealed 204.2 hours of flight experience in airplane single-engine land; however, exact flight experience could not be accurately determined.
Aircraft Information
The airplane was a Cessna 172SP equipped with a Lycoming IO-360-L2A engine. The most recent 100-hour inspection was completed on August 21, 2010. The engine had 3,778 total hours of time in service, 225 hours since overhaul, and 75 flight hours since its most recent inspection.
Examination Findings
The FAA inspector reported that the airplane came to rest inverted in a canal. The pilot reported that "the engine quit." Examination revealed compression on all cylinders and the cockpit fuel mixture knob was in the extended, or "FUEL SHUT-OFF" position. According to a written statement, the pilot had departed to practice maneuvers and build time. While en route to LNA, the engine "started running rough, then the engine quit." Upon landing, the airplane impacted a road sign, nosed over, and came to rest inverted in a canal.
Recovery personnel extracted approximately 25 total gallons of fuel from the fuel tanks. The fuel selector valve was in the "BOTH" position. A Safety Board investigator examined the airplane on November 23, 2010, and found the right fuel pick-up/supply line partially clogged; however, it could not be determined if this occurred during recovery. The fuel selector valve and fuel cut-off system worked correctly. The fuel gascolator contained a blue fluid with traces of water deposits. The left and right magnetos did not produce spark when rotated by hand. Fuel was observed being pumped from the disconnected fuel supply line when the propeller was rotated. The electric fuel pump operated normally, and fuel was observed at each cylinder injector when placed in the "ON" position with 24 volts applied. No other abnormalities were noted that would have prevented normal engine operation. The magnetos were tested and produced spark after surface corrosion was removed. The fuel injector servo was examined and no damage or blockage was observed.
Weather recorded at 1153 at West Palm Beach International Airport, about 8 miles from the accident location, included winds from 060 degrees at 6 knots, 10 miles visibility, few clouds at 4,000 feet above ground level, temperature 29°C, dew point 16°C, and an altimeter setting of 30.00 inches of mercury.