Cessna 172R N468CM accident near Joplin, Missouri

Probable cause

The partial loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined because an operational test run of the engine did not reveal any anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.

NTSB analysis

The pilot stated that the accident occurred as he was completing a touch-and-go landing following a cross-country flight. He reported that, after an uneventful landing and during the subsequent initial climb, the engine "grumbled" and began to "cut in and out." The pilot immediately told the airport tower controller that the airplane had an engine issue, reduced engine power, and fully extended the wing flaps for landing on the remaining runway. During the landing roll, the airplane overran the end of the runway before it collided with a light pole associated with the runway approach lighting system. Following the accident, the pilot was able to taxi the airplane back onto the runway, under normal engine power, before he shut down the engine on a nearby taxiway.

A postaccident examination established that the fuel system contained about 42 gallons of aviation fuel that was evenly distributed between the two wing fuel tanks. The engine was started by following the normal checklist procedure, and it developed takeoff power during an operational test run. No hesitation or engine roughness was experienced during the operational test run, and the engine responded to corresponding throttle movements throughout the test run. Thus, the postaccident operational test run did not reveal any anomalies with the fuel-injected engine that would have prevented normal operation. The reason for the partial loss of engine power could not be determined.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN14LA333 for the full record.