Pilot Debrief

PIPER PA28 near Chesapeake, VA — 2018-03-13

Final reportERA18LA101
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Date
2018-03-13
Location
Chesapeake, VA, USA
Airport
CPK
Aircraft
PIPER PA28
Registration
N5646V
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Initial climb

Probable cause

The pilot's failure to apply carburetor heat during the approach for a touch-and-go landing, which resulted in a total loss of engine power during the subsequent takeoff.

NTSB narrative

The private pilot was conducting touch-and-go landings; the airplane was about 200 ft above ground level after a takeoff when the engine lost total power. The pilot cycled the throttle during the straight-ahead descent, which restored power momentarily before the forced landing. During the ground roll, the nose landing gear separated, and the airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings and fuselage. A postaccident test run of the engine using the fuel available in the airplane’s tanks and the intact fuel system revealed that the engine operated normally with no anomalies noted. The weather conditions at the time of the accident were conducive to the formation of serious carburetor icing at descent engine power settings. The pilot stated that he had not activated the carburetor heat at any point during the flight. Because the engine operated normally after the accident, the weather conditions were conducive to the formation of carburetor icing, and the pilot failed to use carburetor heat during the approach, it is likely that the engine lost power due to the accumulation of carburetor ice before and during the takeoff.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Engine power loss
First missed decision gate
Pilot did not apply carburetor heat during flight despite conditions for icing.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

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

Docket documents6

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