Primary finding
Probable cause
the failure of maintenance personnel to remove an object from the carburetor heat duct during annual inspection which blocked induction air and resulted in the loss of engine power, and the subsequent collision with the terrain during a forced landing.
Investigator assessment
Analysis narrative
The pilot was conducting a commercial sightseeing flight. He stated that while in cruise flight, there was a loss of engine power. He attempted to regain engine power, but the engine did not respond. He initiated a forced landing to a field. During the landing roll, the nose gear collapsed and damaged the firewall. An FAA inspector examined the engine and found a rag in the carburetor heat ducting. This was the airplane's third flight since an annual inspection.
Source record
Factual narrative
On Saturday, July 2, 1994, at 1400 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 172N, N734TU, piloted by Thomas Oliver and operated by Emerson Aviation, Inc., sustained substantial damage during a forced landing near Bristol, New Hampshire. The pilot received minor injuries, and the two passengers were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The flight was operated under 14 CFR Part 91. The sightseeing flight was maneuvering at 2500 feet, when the pilot reported a loss of engine power. There was insufficient engine power to sustain flight; therefore, the pilot established a forced landing to the nearest field. During the landing roll, the nose gear collapsed and the firewall was damaged. Mr. Sylvester Dye, a Federal Aviation Administration Airworthiness Inspector, examined the airplane. He found a rag in the carburetor heat duct. The airplane had flown three flights since the completion of an annual inspection. -