NORTH CAPTIVA, FL, USA
N30962
CESSNA 177B
WITNESSES RPRTD THAT AFTER TAKEOFF, THE ACFT ENTERED A STEEP CLIMB, THEN THE ENG LOST POWER AS THE PLANE WAS PROCEEDING OVER WATER AT ABT 200 TO 300 FT. AN IMMEDIATE LEFT TURN WAS MADE, FOLLOWED BY A NOSE DOWN DESCENT. ABOUT 100 FT ABOVE THE WATER, ENG POWER WAS RESTORED, BUT THE ACFT COLLIDED WITH THE WATER BEFORE THE DESCENT WAS ARRESTED. PSNL (WHO TRIEDTO RESCUE THE OCCUPANTS, IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE ACDNT) DID NOT NOTICE ANY OIL SLICK OR FUEL ON THE WATER. ONLY SALT WATERWAS FOUND IN THE FUEL TANKS. AN INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE ACFT HAD BEEN SERVICED WITH A FUEL LOAD OF ABOUT 40 GAL ON 4/10/90. THE ACFT WAS THEN FLOWN ABOUT 3.8 HRS BEFORE THE ACDNT. THERE WAS NO RECORD OF ANY FURTHER REFUELING. FUEL CONSUMPTION FOR THE ENG WAS ESTIMATED TO BE ABOUT 10 TO 11 GAL/HR AT 65% TO 75% POWER.
INADEQUATE PREFLIGHT BY THE PILOT, WHICH RESULTED IN FUEL EXHAUSTION, DUE TO AN INADEQUATE SUPPLY OF FUEL, AND FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE AIRSPEED, WHICH RESULTED IN AN INADVERTENT STALL.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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