Pilot Debrief

CESSNA 172E near Gettysburg, PA — 2015-09-19

Final reportERA15LA363
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Date
2015-09-19
Location
Gettysburg, PA, USA
Aircraft
CESSNA 172E
Registration
N3647S
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
Serious
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Descent

Probable cause

The total loss of engine power due to carburetor icing. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's failure to maintain a proper approach speed during the forced landing, which resulted in impact with trees.

NTSB narrative

The private pilot, who was also the airplane owner, was conducting a local personal flight. About 30 minutes after takeoff, during a descent from 3,000 to 1,500 ft mean sea level, the airplane experienced a total loss of engine power; the pilot then attempted a forced landing to a grass field. The airplane's approach speed was too fast for landing and the airplane overflew the selected field, eventually impacting trees at the edge of an adjacent field. Subsequent examination of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of any preimpact mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. Before the accident flight, the airplane had been stored for an extended period with automotive fuel in the tanks. Although long-term storage with automotive fuel can lead to varnish or gum deposits that may block or restrict fuel flow, the newly-replaced carburetor was found full of fuel with no foreign material or deposits present, and fuel was observed to flow freely from the fuel tanks to the carburetor during postaccident testing. The weather conditions at the time of the accident were conducive to the formation of serious carburetor icing at glide engine power settings when using aviation-grade gasoline. Given that the use of automotive gasoline is known to result in the formation of carburetor icing at higher ambient temperature and lower humidity conditions than aviation gasoline, it is likely that the loss of engine power was the result of carburetor icing.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Engine power loss
First missed decision gate
Pilot did not apply carburetor heat during descent despite engine roughness.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

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

Docket documents10

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