Cessna 152 N714TD accident near Everett, Washington

Probable cause

The flight instructor’s inadequate preflight inspection, during which he failed to ensure that water was sufficiently drained from the fuel system, which resulted in total loss of engine power and a subsequent forced landing and impact with objects.

NTSB analysis

According to the flight instructor, after conducting a local, instructional flight, he and the student pilot returned to the airport to practice touch-and-go landings. After successfully completing one touch-and-go landing, they switched to another runway. During the approach, the airplane was high on the glidepath, and the student subsequently initiated a go-around. The instructor reported that, during the go-around, when the airplane was about 150 ft above ground level, the engine “sputtered” and then lost all power. Realizing that the airplane would not be able to reach the runway, the flight instructor chose to conduct a forced landing in a nearby field, during which the left wing stuck a utility pole, and the right wing struck a tree, which resulted in substantial damage to both wings.

During postaccident examination of the airplane, the fuel tank sumps and strainer were drained, and a large amount of water was observed in the fuel. During a test run, the engine had difficulty starting. The carburetor was removed, and the examination revealed no evidence of any preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation, and no debris or other contaminants were found. After the carburetor was replaced, the engine started with some hesitation but then ran smoothly at various power settings. Given the evidence, it is likely that the fuel lines and carburetor were contaminated with water because the instructor failed to ensure that water was sufficiently drained from the fuel system during the preflight inspection, which resulted in a total loss of engine power.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for WPR18LA042 for the full record.