WEST CHICAGO, IL, USA
N65729
CESSNA 172P
THE PILOT RENTED N65729 FROM AN FBO FOR A LOCAL FLIGHT. WITNESSES STATED THAT SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF FROM RUNWAY 15, THEY SAW THE AIRPLANE TRAILING 'LIGHT GRAY SMOKE' AND HEARD THE ENGINE LOSE POWER. THE WITNESSES SAW THE AIRPLANE IN A STEEP LEFT BANK TURN AT AN ALTITUDE OF BETWEEN 300 AND 500 FEET AGL. THE AIRPLANE THEN DESCENDED IN A NOSE LOW ALTITUDE INTO THE PARKING LOT OF AN INDUSTRIAL PLANT. POST ACCIDENT EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE REVEALED THE TWO PIECE CARBURETOR PRIMARY VENTURI HAD SEPARATED FROM ITS NORMAL MOUNTED POSITION AND WAS INGESTED INTO THE NO. 2 CYLINDER. SEVERAL SERVICE BULLETINS HAD BEEN ISSUED BY THE MANUFACTURER ADDRESSING THE INSTALLATION OF A NEW ONE PIECE VENTURI. PRECISION AIRMOTIVE ISSUED SERVICE BULLETIN MSA 2 ON OCT. 15 90. REVIEW OF THE ENGINE LOGBOOK FOR N65729 REVEALED SERVICE BULLETIN MSA 2 HAD NOT BEEN ACCOMPLISHED.
THE PILOT'S IMPROPER IN-FLIGHT DECISION TO RETURN TO THE AIRPORT FOLLOWING A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER AT A LOW ALTITUDE. THE PILOT FAILED TO MAINTAIN AIRSPEED WHICH RESULTED IN AN INADVERTENT STALL AT AN ALTITUDE INSUFFICIENT FOR RECOVERY. FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WERE THE LOSS OF ENGINE POWER DUE TO THE FAILURE OF THE CARBURETOR VENTURI, THE OPERATOR'S DISREGARD OF THE PRECISION AIRMOTIVE SERVICE BULLETIN.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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