Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Laurel, Maryland 20708
Thursday, December 22, 1994 16:30 EST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
DURING THE PREFLIGHT, THE PILOT FOUND THE LEFT WING FUEL CAP OFF. HE STATED HE DRAINED ALL THREE FUEL SUMPS, ROCKED THE WINGS, AND DRAINED THE SUMPS AGAIN. HE STATED THE ENGINE STARTED WITHOUT ANY PROBLEM AND HE TAXIED THE AIRPLANE TO THE FUEL PUMP AND REFUELED THE AIRPLANE. HE STATED THAT AFTER THE REFUELING HE DRAINED THE FUEL SUMPS AGAIN. DURING THE FLIGHT THE ENGINE BEGAN TO LOSE AND THEN REGAIN POWER. THE PILOT DECIDED TO RETURN TO THE DEPARTED AIRPORT AND WHILE EN ROUTE THE ENGINE LOST POWER. THE PILOT MADE A FORCED LANDING AND COLLIDED WITH TREES IN A WOODED AREA SHORT OF THE AIRPORT. POSTACCIDENT EXAMINATION OF THE FUEL SYSTEM REVEALED WATER IN THE FUEL. THE ENGINE WAS STARTED SEVERAL TIMES AND THE ENGINE QUIT EACH TIME. AFTER EACH ENGINE FAILURE, WATER WAS FOUND IN THE CARBURETOR BOWL. ONCE THE WATER WAS DEPLETED FROM THE FUEL SYSTEM, THE ENGINE RAN WITH NO ANOMALIES NOTED. THE PILOT STATED THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS LAST FLOWN ABOUT 7 DAYS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. HE SAID IN THOSE 7 DAYS THERE WAS PRECIPITATION IN THE AREA. THE NIGHT PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT, TEMPERATURES WERE BELOW FREEZING.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's inadequate preflight inspection which failed to detect water-contaminated fuel.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 12/22/1994 |
| Event Day of the Week | Thursday |
| Time of Event | 1630 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Standard Time |
| Event City | LAUREL |
| Event State | MARYLAND |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 20708 |
| Event Date Year | 1994 |
| Event Date Month | 12 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1651 Eastern Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 60 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | BWI |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 146 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 15 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 25000 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 15000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 7 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 9 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 1 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 360 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 5 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Serious |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | 1 |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1827 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Dec 22 1994 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 2200 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 6 2000 12:44PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N1620Y |
| NTSB Number | BFO95LA022 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | CESSNA |
| Aircraft Model | 172C |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 172C |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 17249320 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2250 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 4 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jul 15 1995 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 25 |
| Airframe Hours | 1283 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | CLAUDY, STEVEN |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 7980 SAVAGE GUILFORD ROAD |
| Aircraft Owner City | JESSUP |
| Aircraft Owner State | MD |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 20794 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | CLAUDY, STEVEN |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | 7980 SAVAGE GUILFORD ROAD |
| Operator City | JESSUP |
| Operator State | MD |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 20794 |
| Operator Code | |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | Unknown |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1615 |
| Departure Time Zone | EST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Emergency landing |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:34AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 0 |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |