Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Modesto Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Modesto, California 95354
Tuesady, November 6, 2012 11:00 PST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
During a photography mission, the pilot applied full engine power, and the engine speed dropped to idle. After attempting a series of troubleshooting steps, the engine did not respond, and the pilot performed a forced landing into a field. The airplane landed hard and nosed over. Postaccident examination of the engine revealed that the outer jacket of the throttle control cable had fragmented at the carburetor attach point, exposing the inner cable. Subsequent throttle control movement resulted in the cable flexing out of the jacket, rather than moving the throttle control arm at the carburetor. No life limit existed for the cable, which was most likely installed at the time of airframe manufacture, 38 years prior to the accident. Further examination of the engine revealed no additional evidence of a mechanical malfunction or failure that would have precluded normal operation.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
Failure of the throttle control cable during maneuvering flight, which resulted in a partial loss of engine power.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 11/6/2012 |
| Event Day of the Week | Tuesday |
| Time of Event | 1100 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Standard Time |
| Event City | Modesto |
| Event State | CALIFORNIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 95354 |
| Event Date Year | 2012 |
| Event Date Month | 11 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 372804n |
| Event Location Longitude | 1210425w |
| Event Location Airport | Modesto |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | MOD |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 12 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 99 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1053 Pacific Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 30 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | KMOD |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 99 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 12 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 6 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 22 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 12 |
| 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) | 30.08 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | METAR KMOD 061853Z 00000KT 6SM HZ CLR 22/12 A3008 |
| Event Highest Injury | Minor |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | 2 |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 30997 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA LAX ROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Apr 4 2013 10:18AM |
| User who most recently changed record | johb |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N21391 |
| NTSB Number | WPR13LA035 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | CESSNA |
| Aircraft Model | 172M |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 17263943 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1800 |
| 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 | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Nov 4 2012 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 4 |
| Airframe Hours | 3240 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | C91-A |
| Aircraft Owner Name | GARY KLING |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | MODESTO |
| Aircraft Owner State | CA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 95350-1349 |
| Operator is an individual? | Yes |
| Operator Name | Charlene L Fulton |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | Modesto |
| Operator State | CA |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 95355 |
| 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) | Aerial Observation |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | KMOD |
| Departure City | Modesto |
| Departure State | CA |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1042 |
| Departure Time Zone | PST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | KMOD |
| Destination City | Modesto |
| Destination State | CA |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Feb 14 2013 12:16PM |
| User who most recently changed record | coos |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | N/A |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |