Accident Details
On September 9, 2013, at about 1328 Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 172N, registration N42EP, was substantially damaged during a forced landing at Long Beach Airport in Long Beach, California. The airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. The commercial pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the local personal flight that originated from El Monte Airport, El Monte, California, at about 1130.
The pilot reported that after a touch-and-go landing on runway 25L, he began a normal climb out. Shortly afterward, the engine “sputtered” and lost power. The pilot initiated a forced landing to the remaining runway while verifying the carburetor heat and mixture control positions. The airplane then landed hard and came to rest upright.
Aircraft and Pilot Information
The airplane was a Cessna 172N, powered by a Lycoming O-360-A4M engine, serial number L-29230-36A. The commercial pilot was the sole occupant and reported no injuries.
Engine Examination
Examination by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector revealed that the right wing was structurally damaged. The wreckage was recovered for further examination. The engine remained attached to the airframe via all mounts, and all accessories were secure. Oil film was observed on the crankcase and cylinder bases. All oil and fuel lines were intact and secure. The exhaust and induction systems were intact. One propeller blade was bent aft about 20 degrees from midspan. The carburetor was intact, and the throttle and mixture control cables moved from stop to stop when actuated from the cockpit.
The top spark plugs and ignition leads were reinstalled. After removing, straightening, and reinstalling the propeller, the engine was started three times using the magneto starter switch. The engine ran at idle for about 5 to 10 seconds before shutting off. The carburetor was then removed and disassembled. The plastic floats and needle were intact and undamaged. No debris was observed in the float bowl. Air applied to the venturi nozzle moved through the fuel passages. Pliable debris, similar to silicone, was observed within the mixture metering sleeve. The debris was removed, and the carburetor reassembled and reinstalled. Silicone was also observed on the carburetor airbox assembly. The source of the debris inside the carburetor was not determined.
After reassembly, the engine was started and ran without incident at various power settings before being shut down using the mixture cut-off.
Maintenance History
Review of the airplane maintenance logbooks indicated that on August 22, 2013, at a tachometer time of 1,037.4 hours, the carburetor was removed, cleaned, and the needle valve and seat were checked. The carburetor was reinstalled and returned to service. The engine had accumulated 1.5 hours of tachometer time since that maintenance.