The pilot was flying over a heavily wooded, remote area near Sisters, Ore., when the Cessna 172B’s engine lost power. He restarted the engine several times, and each time it ran for a shorter period of time.
Eventually unable to restart the engine, he chose to ditch the airplane in a lake rather than descend into trees. It sank in about 8 feet of water and came to rest at the bottom of the lake.
The airplane was eventually recovered from the lake, but the engine was not properly preserved to prevent corrosion.
The NTSB determined the probable cause as a loss of engine power during cruise flight for reasons that could not be determined because the engine was not properly preserved to prevent corrosion after the wreckage was recovered from the lake.
NTSB Identification: WPR13LA378
This August 2013 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others.
