Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Houston, Texas 77095
Wednesday, August 4, 1993 19:35 CDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

ON THE FLIGHT PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT, AN INSTRUCTOR AND A STUDENT HAD EXECUTED A SUCCESSFUL FORCED LANDING TO THE AIRPORT FOLLOWING A PARTIAL POWER LOSS. AFTER LANDING, THE INSTRUCTOR NOTED AN RPM DROP ON THE MAGS OF 1000 LEFT AND 500 RIGHT AND THAT THE ENGINE WAS RUNNING ROUGH AT IDLE ON BOTH MAGS. HE REPORTED THE LANDING AND ENGINE PROBLEM TO FBO PERSONNEL MANNING THE FRONT DESK. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, THE AIRPLANE WAS SIGNED OUT TO A 17-YEAR-OLD SOLO STUDENT PILOT. WITNESSES SAID THEY HEARD THE ENGINE RUNNING ROUGH AND TWO SAID IT QUIT. THEY ALSO STATED THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS MANEUVERING AT ABOUT 100 FEET TOWARD A DIRT ROAD WHEN IT NOSED DOWN WHILE IN A LEFT BANK. THE ENGINE EXAM REVEALED A CHAFED PLUG LEAD ROUTED AROUND A PRIMER LINE AND FOULED PLUGS ON THE MAJORITY OF THE CYLINDERS. PRIOR TO GOING OUT TO THE AIRPLANE, THE STUDENT WAS INSTRUCTED BY THE DISPATCHER AND AN UNIDENTIFIED INSTRUCTOR TO DO A 'GOOD ENGINE RUN UP' AND LEAN OUT THE MIXTURE TO 'CLEAR THE PLUGS.'

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

COMPANY MANAGEMENT'S DISPATCH OF AN AIRPLANE WITH KNOWN DEFICIENCIES, THEIR FAILURE TO CORRECT THE DEFICIENCIES, AND THE STUDENT PILOT'S INADVERTENT ENTRY INTO A STALL. FACTORS WHICH CONTRIBUTED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: CHAFED WIRING, FOULED SPARK PLUGS, A MAGNETO INDUCED PARTIAL POWER LOSS, AND AN UNIDENTIFIED INSTRUCTOR'S FAILURE TO PROVIDE PROPER ASSISTANCE TO THE STUDENT PILOT.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 8/4/1993
Event Day of the Week Wednesday
Time of Event 1935
Event Time Zone Central Daylight Time
Event City HOUSTON
Event State TEXAS
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 77095
Event Date Year 1993
Event Date Month 8
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 Not pertinent
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1947 Central Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 45
Weather Observation Facility ID DWH
Elevation of weather observation facility 152
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 9
Time Zone of the weather observation CDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 5000
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Scattered
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling None
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) --
Visibility (Statute Miles) 15
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 32
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 23
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 0
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 0
Wind Velocity Indicator Calm
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
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 Fatal
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal 1
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 1
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 1085
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Aug 4 1993 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 2030
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information IMAGE
Date of most recent change to record Dec 11 2000 1:34PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N24893
NTSB Number FTW93FA229
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 Ground
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name CESSNA
Aircraft Model 152
Aircraft Series Identifier 152
Aircraft Serial Number 15280436
Certified Max Gross Weight 1670
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 Jul 14 1993 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 36
Airframe Hours 3727
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name RUSSELL, DOUG
Aircraft Owner Street Address 21904 HEMPSTEAD HWY.
Aircraft Owner City HOUSTON
Aircraft Owner State TX
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 77040
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 EYQ
Departure City
Departure State
Departure Country
Departure Time 1920
Departure Time Zone CDT
Destination Same as Local Flt dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere
Destination Airport Code EYQ
Destination City
Destination State
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Maneuvering
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 --