Cessna 172H N2554L accident near Charles Town, West Virginia

Probable cause

A loss of engine power for undetermined reasons.

NTSB analysis

While en route to the destination airport, the engine began “sputtering.” The pilot reported that the mixture was in the full rich position and he applied carburetor heat; however, the engine did not regain full power. He performed a forced landing to a field and during the landing the nose landing gear collapsed, which resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage. During the recovery of the airplane, 5 gallons of fuel was noted in the right fuel tank and 10 gallons of fuel was noted in the left fuel tank. A postaccident examination of the wreckage revealed no evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation; the reason for the loss of engine power could not be determined.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA23LA190 for the full record.