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NTSB: Engine lost power shortly after takeoff before Lebanon school-area crash
A Cessna that crashed near Byers Dowdy Elementary on Sept. 1 lost engine power at about 500 feet, according to a federal investigation. The pilot landed in a parking lot before the plane slid into a field; no one was injured.
A small plane lost engine power shortly after taking off from Lebanon Municipal Airport and came down near Byers Dowdy Elementary School on Sept. 1, according to a National Transportation Safety Board report released Oct. 27. The NTSB said the crash was accidental and that bad fuel was a possible factor in the engine failure.
The pilot had picked up the Cessna R182 after its annual inspection and was planning a roughly 20-minute flight to his home airport in Bowling Green, Kentucky. He told investigators he checked the fuel, completed preflight inspections and ran the engine before departure without noticing a problem.
At about 500 feet, the engine began sputtering and then lost power, the report said. The pilot switched on the auxiliary fuel pump but could not restart it. Unable to return to the airport, he aimed for a parking lot. He did not have enough time to extend the flaps or landing gear.
The plane touched down in the lot at about 6:15 p.m. and slid into a grassy field behind the school, near Hickory Ridge Road. The pilot climbed out and walked away. Some students were inside the school, but none were outside, and no injuries were reported.
The NTSB said the aircraft sustained substantial damage. Investigators later restarted the engine using an alternate fuel source, and it ran for a minute. The plane has since been repaired, according to the report’s summary in the federal investigation coverage.