Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Boca Raton, Florida 33431
Thursday, January 16, 1997 9:20 EST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

The pilot stated that during preflight inspection she did not see any water in fuel samples she drew from the wing sump drains and fuel strainer. After 55 minutes of flight, while on final approach, the engine quit. The pilot made a forced landing in a wooded area. Postcrash examination showed that the fuel strainer and carburetor bowl were full of water. The right fuel cap was found to be leaking. The engine operated normally after removal of the water from the fuel system. The fueling source was free of water and other aircraft fueled from this source did not contain water. The aircraft was refueled 5 days before the accident and did not fly until the accident flight. Between the last refueling and the accident flight the aircraft sat on the ramp. On several of the days it rained. The aircraft received a 100-hour inspection, 17 days and 21 flight hours before the accident.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Inadequate inspection of the fuel caps by company maintenance personnel resulting in a cap with a deteriorated seal being allowed to continue in service. This allowed water to leak into the fuel tank which resulted in loss of engine power due to water ingestion.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 1/16/1997
Event Day of the Week Thursday
Time of Event 920
Event Time Zone Eastern Standard Time
Event City BOCA RATON
Event State FLORIDA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 33431
Event Date Year 1997
Event Date Month 1
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 853 Eastern Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 360
Weather Observation Facility ID PBI
Elevation of weather observation facility 19
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 18
Time Zone of the weather observation EST
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 900
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Scattered
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling None
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 10
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 22
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 20
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 230
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 12
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29
Density Altitude (feet) 1000
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) 36
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Jan 16 1997 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 930
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information IMAGE
Date of most recent change to record Dec 8 2000 12:06PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N69219
NTSB Number MIA97LA064
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Substantial
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name Cessna
Aircraft Model 152
Aircraft Series Identifier 152
Aircraft Serial Number 15285350
Certified Max Gross Weight 1675
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 2
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection 100 Hour
Date of Last Inspection Dec 30 1996 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 21
Airframe Hours --
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name BOCA AIRPORT, INC.
Aircraft Owner Street Address 3700 AIRPORT ROAD
Aircraft Owner City BOCA RATON
Aircraft Owner State FL
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 33431
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address
Operator City
Operator State
Operator Country
Operator Zip code
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) Instructional
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event Yes
Departure Airport Code BCT
Departure City
Departure State
Departure Country
Departure Time 825
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 Approach
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 --