Caldwell, TX, USA
N7332F
Cessna 172N
After takeoff, the single-engine airplane climbed to 2,500 or 2,600 feet msl and proceeded to the practice area. After arriving at the practice area, the solo student pilot practiced a few steep turns and power on/power off stalls. After completion of the stalls, the airplane had ascended to 4,000 feet msl "so he decided to practice emergency landings." The student pilot applied carburetor heat, throttle to idle, and pulled the mixture out to "stop the prop." He then "established the best glide speed of 65 and looked for a field." The student pilot attempted to restart the engine at 2,000 feet msl by priming the engine 2 or 3 times, then carburetor heat off, mixture rich, and throttle 1/8 open. The engine turned over a couple of times, but would not start, so he set up to land in the field. During the landing roll, the airplane impacted a levee, became airborne again and then came to rest upright 20 feet from the levee.
On July 9, 2001, approximately 0730 central daylight time, a Cessna 172N single-engine airplane, N7332F, was substantially damaged during a forced landing following an intentional shutdown of the engine while practicing emergency landing procedures near Caldwell, Texas. The airplane was owned and operated by the Texas A&M Flying Club, Inc., of College Station, Texas. The student pilot, sole occupant of the airplane, sustained serious injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a flight plan was not filed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 solo instructional flight. The local flight originated from College Station, approximately 0630. The student pilot reported in a written statement that after takeoff, the flight climbed to 2,500 or 2,600 feet msl and proceeded to the practice area. After arriving at the practice area, he practiced a few steep turns and power on/power off stalls. After completion of the stalls, the airplane had ascended to 4,000 feet msl "so he decided to practice emergency landings." He applied carburetor heat, throttle to idle, and pulled the mixture out to "stop the prop." He then "established the best glide speed of 65 and looked for a field." He attempted to restart the engine at 2,000 feet msl by priming the engine 2 or 3 times, then carburetor heat off, mixture rich, and throttle 1/8 open. The engine turned over a couple of times, but would not start, so he set up to land in the field. During the landing roll, the airplane impacted a levee and the nose landing gear separated. The airplane became airborne again and came to rest upright 20 feet from the levee. The student pilot also reported that his flight instructor had demonstrated the above maneuver; however, the instructor did not give him any restrictions on practicing this maneuver. The FAA inspector, who responded to the accident site, reported that the engine mounts and firewall had sustained damage. Attempts to obtain a completed Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report (NTSB form 6120.1/2) were unsuccessful.
the solo student pilot's intentional engine shutdown, while practicing emergency landing prodecures. A contributing factor was the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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