Accident Summary
On October 2, 2023, at about 1400 central daylight time, a Cessna 172R airplane, registration N397ES, was substantially damaged during a forced landing near Arlington, Texas. The pilot and passenger sustained minor injuries. The flight was conducted under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight.
Flight History
The pilot departed from Grand Prairie Municipal Airport (GPM), Grand Prairie, Texas, intending to fly locally for about 30 minutes with a passenger. After returning to the airport, the pilot entered the traffic pattern and realized he had inadvertently extended his downwind leg while explaining before-landing checklist procedures. When turning onto final approach, the pilot noticed the airplane was lower than usual due to the extended downwind and added engine power. The engine did not respond, and full throttle was applied without effect. Determining that a glide to GPM was not possible, the pilot executed a forced landing to a parking lot. After landing, the airplane struck a fence, causing substantial damage to both wings. The pilot secured the engine and egressed with the passenger.
Engine Examination
The airplane was recovered to a secure facility for examination. To prepare the engine for a test run, one engine mount was repaired and a test club replaced the damaged propeller. A fuel can containing 100 low lead fuel was connected to the fuel system via a line directly to the electric fuel pump, bypassing the damaged firewall fuel strainer and header tank. The engine was primed and started, operating normally with rated horsepower. No anomalies were detected that would have precluded normal operation.
The engine logbook recorded that a mechanic replaced the engine fuel servo before the accident flight. However, the engine run results could not be used to determine if the fuel servo contributed to the reported loss of engine power.