Pilot Debrief

CESSNA 150F near Ferdinand, IN — 2018-06-19

Final reportCEN18TA233
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Date
2018-06-19
Location
Ferdinand, IN, USA
Airport
HNB
Aircraft
CESSNA 150F
Registration
N3002X
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
Serious
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Cruise

Probable cause

The pilot's failure to apply carburetor heat in conditions conducive to the accumulation of carburetor icing, which resulted in a total loss of engine power.

NTSB narrative

The private pilot and passenger were on a cross-country personal flight at 2,500 ft mean sea level and were about 15 miles north of their destination airport. They began the descent, and during the descent, the engine sputtered, followed by a total loss of power. The pilot attempted to troubleshoot the loss of power but was unsuccessful; however, he did not apply carburetor heat during the troubleshooting. Subsequently, the pilot made a forced landing to a parking lot. During the landing roll, the airplane impacted an embankment and nosed over. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that fuel was present in the fuel tanks and the fuel lines to the carburetor. Examination revealed no evidence of any preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation. Weather conditions at the time of the accident were conducive to the accumulation of serious carburetor icing at glide power settings. It is likely that, during the descent, carburetor ice accumulated due to the pilot's failure to apply carburetor heat, which resulted in the loss of engine power.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Engine power loss
First missed decision gate
Pilot did not apply carburetor heat during troubleshooting of engine issue.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • 4 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents4

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