Pilot Debrief

TAILWIND W10 near West Livingston, TX — 2024-08-03

Final reportCEN24LA301
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Date
2024-08-03
Location
West Livingston, TX, USA
Airport
00R
Aircraft
TAILWIND W10
Registration
N129WT
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
Minor
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Climb

Probable cause

A partial loss of engine power due to carburetor ice.

NTSB narrative

About 30 minutes after departing on a cross-country flight, the pilot heard the engine “misfire,” but observed that all engine instruments and temperatures appeared normal. The engine misfired again, and he decided to return to his departure airport. A few minutes later, the engine lost partial power. Unable to maintain altitude, the pilot elected to divert to a nearby airport. During the landing roll, the airplane exited the runway surface, nosed over, and came to rest inverted. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer and rudder. Postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. Based on the reported weather conditions at the time of the partial power loss, the airplane was operating in conditions conducive to the formation of serious icing at glide power. The pilot reported that he applied carburetor heat and felt that application exacerbated the problem, so he turned off the carburetor heat and continued with the forced landing. It is likely the engine sustained a partial loss of engine power due to the formation of carburetor ice and that the pilot likely turned off the carburetor heat before the ice melted.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Engine power loss
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have returned immediately after first engine misfire.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • Photos
  • 4 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents4

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