Pilot Debrief

PIPER PA28 near Puyallup, WA — 2020-10-18

Final reportWPR21LA017
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Date
2020-10-18
Location
Puyallup, WA, USA
Airport
PLU
Aircraft
PIPER PA28
Registration
N4673R
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Climb

Probable cause

A partial loss of engine power as a result of carburetor icing and the flight instructors failure to use carburetor heat.

NTSB narrative

The student pilot reported that they conducted two uneventful touch-and-go landings. After the second touch-and-go, they were climbing with full power through about 500 ft when the engine sputtered momentarily. The instructor took over the flight controls and continued a left crosswind when the engine power reduced to idle. The instructor turned the airplane back toward the airport and ensured the fuel selector was on, throttle and mixture were full forward, and magnetos on both. The student pilot pressed the starter to see if that would help, but the engine continued at idle, and the airplane continued to descend. Unable to make it to the airport, the instructor made an off-airport landing during which the airplane touched down momentarily and bounced back into ground effect. It impacted a few trees before coming to a stop in a parking lot. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing and fuselage. A postaccident examination and run of the engine did not reveal any anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. The temperature and dewpoint conditions were plotted and fell on the line between serious icing at cruise power and serious icing at glide power. The instructor reported that he did not use carburetor heat once the engine started to sputter.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Engine power loss
First missed decision gate
Instructor did not use carburetor heat when engine started to sputter.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • Video
  • Photos
  • 8 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents16

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