Rockwell International 112A accident near Clearwater, Florida, November 19, 2017
On November 19, 2017 at about 3:30 pm local time, a 1975 Rockwell International 112A, registered N1401J, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach near Clearwater, Florida (Clearwater Air Park airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A total loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined based on the available information.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 19, 2017 · about 3:30 pm local time
- Place
- Clearwater, Florida · Clearwater Air Park · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Rockwell International 112A, built 1975 · all 112As on the register
- Registration
- N1401J · no longer on the register · serial 401
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, before departing on the personal flight, he added about 30 gallons of fuel to the airplane, which filled the left fuel tank completely and the right tank to about 7/8 full. He flew for about 20 minutes with the fuel selector on the left tank position. While preparing for landing, the pilot accomplished the before landing checklist, which included increasing the mixture to full rich, turning on the auxiliary fuel pump, and switching the fuel selector from the left tank position to the both position. He then reduced the throttle to slow the airplane and felt "slight resistance" on the throttle lever. About 10 seconds after switching the fuel selector, the airplane began to lose airspeed faster than anticipated. When he looked at the fuel flow indicator, the pilot saw it slowly transition from 8 gallons per hour to zero, and the engine subsequently lost all power. He moved the fuel selector back to the left fuel tank position, but the engine would not restart. During the forced landing, the airplane impacted a tree in the median of a 4-lane street before impacting and coming to rest in a stand of trees adjacent to the roadway. Postaccident testing of the engine and fuel injection servo revealed no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. Although some debris was noted during the examination of the fuel injection servo, it was likely not enough to cause the engine to lose total power. Thus, the reason for the total loss of engine power could not be determined.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Fuel related during approach defining event
- Loss of engine power (total) during approach
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Tree(s) › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 450 hours in all; 245 in this make and model; 25 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days; 450 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: November 15, 2017
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,176 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 4, 2017; 30 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,950 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO360 SER (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ZPH Zephyrhills FL at 3:08 pm
- Destination: CLW Clearwater FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 16, 4,108 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
- Observation at 2:53 pm from KPIE, 6 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ANC18LA010.