N12633

On July 7, 2007, about 1610 eastern daylight time, a Cessna Ector 305A, N12633, was substantially damaged during a forced landing, following a loss of engine power, while in cruise flight near Berkeley Township, New Jersey. The certificated commercial pilot sustained minor injures. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the flight that departed Lakewood Airport, Lakewood, New Jersey. The local banner tow flight was conducted under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.

The pilot reported that she was towing a banner at an altitude of 500 feet, when the engine abruptly lost power. She released the banner, applied carburetor heat, and attempted unsuccessfully to restart the engine. The pilot subsequently performed a forced landing to a beach. During the landing, the airplane's left landing gear separated, and the airframe was distorted.

Examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector did not reveal any preimpact mechanical malfunctions. Thumb compression was obtained on all cylinders, and both magnetos produced spark through their respective ignition leads. Fuel samples taken from both fuel tanks and the fuel supply line to the carburetor were absent of contamination. The engine was test run on July 17, 2007, with no discrepancies noted. In addition, a subsequent teardown of the carburetor did not reveal any abnormalities.

The airplane had been operated for about 18 hours since it's most recent annual inspection, which was performed about 2 weeks prior to the accident.