Incident Overview
On November 27, 2012, about 1904 eastern standard time, a Cessna 177RG airplane, N1912Q, impacted terrain following a loss of engine power on takeoff from runway 28L at the Capital Region International Airport (LAN), near Lansing, Michigan. The pilot and two passengers were uninjured. The airplane sustained substantial empennage damage. It was registered and operated by Partners For Neighborhood Group, Inc. under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Night visual flight rules (VFR) conditions prevailed, and the flight did not operate on a VFR flight plan. The flight was originating from LAN and destined for Chicago Executive Airport, near Wheeling, Illinois.
Flight and Engine Failure
According to the pilot’s accident report, he was given a clearance to taxi to runway 28L. No operational anomalies were detected during the engine run up. Flaps were set to 10 degrees for takeoff. After takeoff clearance, the pilot flew the runway heading. During climb, he retracted the landing gear and flaps, then reduced engine power to 25 inches of manifold pressure and 2,500 rpm. At that time, the engine lost power. The pilot declared an emergency and attempted a forced landing on the runway. He lowered flaps and landing gear and initiated a flare about six feet above the ground. However, the landing gear did not fully extend during the forced landing. The airplane touched down, the gear collapsed, and it skidded until coming to rest at the departure end of the runway.
Post-Accident Examination
A Federal Aviation Administration inspector examined the airplane. The airplane was lifted and the main landing gear was extended. The fuel system and engine were examined. Fuel gauges indicated one-half full on the left tank and three-eighths full on the right tank. Examination of the firewall sump and main tank sumps showed no water. However, a minimal amount of water was drained from the right belly sump. The inspector could not prime the engine when the fuel valve selector was positioned on the "both" fuel tank setting. He then turned the selector to the "left" tank setting, established fuel flow, primed, and started the engine. The engine ran rich at first but cleared after about one minute. No fuel flow could be established until the selector was placed in the left position. Once fuel flow was established, the engine started and ran normally. The reason why fuel flow could not be established when the selector was in the "both" position could not be determined.