At 1205 Pacific time, a Cessna 172M was ditched into the ocean near Torrance, but the pilot was uninjured. The pilot said he was flying from Apple Valley to Catalina Island at 8,500 feet when he descended to avoid the Class B airspace at Los Angeles. He leveled at 2,500 feet and noticed an unusual vibration in the cowling. He reduced power but mistakenly applied carb heat, which he could then not remove. The EGT showed the airplane running hot, and he realized he had not enriched the mixture since descending. However, the mixture control also was inoperative. He turned back toward shore and deployed full flaps to descend to the water.
September 08, Torrance, Calif. / Cessna 172
At 1205 Pacific time, a Cessna 172M was ditched into the ocean near Torrance, but the pilot was uninjured. The pilot said he was flying from Apple Valley to Catalina Island at 8,500 feet when he descended to avoid the Class B airspace at Los Angeles. He leveled at 2,500 feet and noticed an unusual vibration in the cowling. He reduced power but mistakenly applied carb heat, which he could then not remove. The EGT showed the airplane running hot, and he realized he had not enriched the mixture since descending. However, the mixture control also was inoperative. He turned back toward shore and deployed full flaps to descend to the water....
Key Takeaways:
- An uninjured pilot ditched a Cessna 172M into the ocean near Torrance due to a series of engine malfunctions.
- The incident began after the pilot descended to avoid Class B airspace, noting unusual vibrations, and mistakenly applying carb heat which then could not be removed.
- Compounding the issue, the pilot realized the mixture had not been enriched after descent, causing the engine to run hot, and the mixture control subsequently became inoperative.
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