Pilot Debrief

CESSNA 150L near Tulare, CA — 2012-05-23

Final reportWPR12LA228
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Date
2012-05-23
Location
Tulare, CA, USA
Airport
TLR
Aircraft
CESSNA 150L
Registration
N11428
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Climb

Probable cause

A partial loss of engine power, which was likely the result of carburetor icing.

NTSB narrative

The student pilot was maneuvering the airplane at an altitude of about 1,300 feet above ground level when the engine started to sputter. He configured the airplane for a forced landing in an alfalfa field. During the landing roll, the airplane encountered a water-filled ditch and nosed over, coming to rest inverted and sustaining damage to the tail section. Postaccident examination of the engine revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. In ambient conditions similar to those reported near the accident site, a pilot could expect serious carburetor icing while operating at various power settings.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Engine power loss
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have checked for carburetor icing before flight.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • 2 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents2

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