Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Colfax Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Colfax, Washington 99111
Monday, June 11, 2012 7:40 PDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
Shortly after leveling off and beginning the cruise portion of the cross-country flight, the engine lost all power. The private pilot/owner performed a forced landing on a highway; however, just before the landing flare, the airplane’s vertical stabilizer struck a power cable and partially separated from the tailcone. Postaccident examination of the engine revealed that the carburetor drain plug was missing. The pilot stated that he had flown the airplane using automotive gasoline about 2 months before the accident. When the engine was subsequently difficult to start, the pilot removed the carburetor drain plug to purge the system of automotive fuel. He stated that he did not use safety wire to secure the plug after performing this operation.
Maintenance personnel examined the carburetor after the pilot reported that the engine was running rough (about 2 months before the accident) and again during the airplane’s annual inspection (about 1 month before the accident). Although maintenance personnel reported that on both occasions the drain plug was secured with safety wire, physical evidence suggested that the drain plug had never been secured with safety wire. Because of the contradictory statements and inconclusive evidence, it was not possible to determine who was responsible for the unsecured drain plug.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The total loss of engine power during cruise flight due to the missing carburetor drain plug, which had not been secured with safety wire.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 6/11/2012 |
| Event Day of the Week | Monday |
| Time of Event | 740 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Daylight Time |
| Event City | Colfax |
| Event State | WASHINGTON |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 99111 |
| Event Date Year | 2012 |
| Event Date Month | 6 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 465242n |
| Event Location Longitude | 1172157w |
| Event Location Airport | Colfax |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | S94 |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 3 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 2181 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 753 Pacific Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 360 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | KSFF |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 1957 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 54 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 13 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 9 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | -- |
| Variable Wind Indicator | -- |
| Wind Speed (knots) | -- |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Calm |
| Wind Gust Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.18 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | METAR KSFF 111453Z 00000KT 10SM SCT100 13/09 A3018 |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 30106 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA ANM Operations Center |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jul 11 2012 4:57PM |
| User who most recently changed record | coos |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N4715D |
| NTSB Number | WPR12CA257 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | Unknown |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | CESSNA |
| Aircraft Model | 182A |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 34815 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2650 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| 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 | May 17 2012 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 4 |
| Airframe Hours | 3813 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | C91-A |
| Aircraft Owner Name | PETRACCA CARMINE J |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | LEWISTON |
| Aircraft Owner State | ID |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 83501 |
| Operator is an individual? | Yes |
| Operator Name | PETRACCA CARMINE J |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | LEWISTON |
| Operator State | ID |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 83501 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| 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 | No |
| Departure Airport Code | KLWS |
| Departure City | Lewiston |
| Departure State | ID |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 720 |
| Departure Time Zone | PDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | KSFF |
| Destination City | Spokane |
| Destination State | WA |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jul 11 2012 4:57PM |
| User who most recently changed record | coos |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | N/A |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |