Accident Summary
On October 18, 2022, about 0740 Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 177RG, registration N747ML, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Mesa, Arizona. The pilot sustained serious injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.
Pilot Report
The pilot stated that Falcon Aviation Services, based out of Falcon Field Airport (FFZ), Mesa, Arizona, reinstalled the overhauled engine and signed off the engine logbook entry on October 12, 2022. After multiple ground runs, the pilot completed an uneventful post-overhaul flight.
For the accident flight, the pilot departed about 0624 with 28 gallons of fuel onboard and maneuvered north of FFZ, flying about one hour orbiting about 4,000 ft above ground level at 65% to 75% engine power. Upon returning to FFZ, while turning from base to final for runway 04R, the engine lost total power. The pilot attempted but failed to restart the engine and conducted a forced landing into a water canal. The airplane impacted a berm and came to rest in the canal, resulting in substantial damage to the left wing, fuselage, and engine mount. During recovery, about one cup of fuel was recovered from each fuel tank.
Postaccident Examination
Examination of the airframe and engine revealed that the fuel supply line from the fuel injection servo to the fuel flow divider, which attached to the baffle union fitting, exhibited a surging fuel leak when the propeller was manually rotated. Fuel continued to surge from the fuel line fitting as the engine-driven fuel pump actuated with continuous manual rotation of the propeller. It was determined that the fuel line B-nut was not secured and could be turned ½ revolution to “finger tight.” The fuel pump, fuel flow divider, and each corresponding fuel line were secured to their respective mounting pads or fuel system components.
Maintenance Background
According to the repair station, there were two primary installers of the accident engine: a technician and an inspector. The recovered task card for the engine installation showed that the fuel system tasks, including a fuel leak check, were completed and signed off by both individuals; however, it could not be determined which person secured the fuel line to the baffle union fitting.