Cessna 172S N235GW accident near Syracuse, Utah

Probable cause

The failure of the maintenance technicians who installed the engine to properly tighten the fuel injection servo to a spider supply line, which caused a loss of engine power due to fuel starvation.

NTSB analysis

The pilot reported that during cruise flight, the engine started running rough and began losing power. The pilot manipulated the throttle and mixture controls, but the engine continued losing power. All engine power was lost on approach during the forced landing to an alfalfa field, and the airplane nosed over during the landing roll. The engine had received a factory major overhaul and was installed in the airplane about 14 operational hours before the accident. Since installation, it had not received any maintenance. Postaccident examination of the engine found that the B-nut fitting on the fuel supply hose that goes from the fuel injection servo to the distribution spider was loose, which caused a fuel starvation-induced loss of engine power. No other mechanical malfunctions or failures were identified that would have precluded normal operation.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for WPR11LA362 for the full record.