N80624

On July 19, 2000, about 0810 Eastern Daylight Time, a Cessna 172M, N80624, was substantially damaged during a forced landing after takeoff from Ohio State University Airport, Columbus, Ohio. The certificated private pilot received minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the business flight. No flight plan had been filed for the flight that was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.

According to the pilot, he conducted a pre-flight examination of the airplane prior to departure. The examination included draining fuel to check for water, and none was found. Upon completion of the pre-flight examination, the engine was started and the airplane was taxied to the runway for departure. The takeoff was initiated on Runway 9R. When the airplane was about 500 feet above the ground, the engine started to sputter. Although the engine experienced a partial power loss, it never lost power totally. The pilot initiated a left turn to land on Runway 27R. The airplane landed long, overran the end of the runway, and struck a chain link fence.

According to an airworthiness inspector from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the chain link fence was located about 500 feet beyond the departure end of the runway. The airplane came to rest after it passed through the fence. Fuel was drained from both wing tanks and no water was observed. The engine was then started and ran for about 10 seconds during which time the engine ran "labored", after which the engine was shut down.

The airplane was moved to a hanger where the engine cowling and air filter were removed, and found to contain a small amount of water. However, airflow to the engine was not blocked. No contamination was found in the carburetor, and the carburetor heat was operative. The engine was started again and accelerated to 1,200 RPM where a magneto check was performed, and no problems reported. Further engine runs were not accomplished due to damaged engine mounts.

The pilot reported that it was not raining at the time of the accident; however, the 0753 weather observation recorded light rain which began at 0719. The temperature and dewpoint were recorded as 17 degrees Celsius and 14 degrees Celsius respectively. The 0853 weather observation recorded rain.

When asked about the use of carburetor heat, the pilot reported he checked it twice during the engine run-up and did not observe a drop in engine rpm. When asked how long he kept the carburetor heat applied, he reported it was not over 2 seconds each time.