Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Palmer, Massachusetts 01069
Tuesady, March 31, 1992 17:15 EST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE AIRPLANE WAS ON FINAL APPROACH AND THE PILOT ADDED POWER BECAUSE HE SAW HE WOULD BE LANDING SHORT OF THE RUNWAY. THERE WAS NO ENGINE RESPONSE TO THE THROTTLE MOVEMENT AND THE AIRPLANE LANDED 500 FT SHORT OF THE RUNWAY IN A MUDDY AREA AND FLIPPED OVER. THE ENGINE WAS RUN ON THE AIRPLANE AFTER THE ACCIDENT AND NO DISCREPANCIES WERE NOTED. THE TEMPERATURE AND DEWPOINT 20 MILES TO THE EAST WAS RECORDD AS 43 F AND 32 F. ACCORDING TO THE FAA CARBURETOR ICING CHART, THE RECORDED TEMPERATURE AND DEWPOINT WAS CONDUCIVE TO SERIOUS CARBURETOR ICING. WHEN INTERVIEWED THE PILOT SAID HE USED CARBURETOR HEAT ON APPROACH; HOWEVER, HE WAS NOT AWARE OF THE TEMPERATURE/DEWPOINT SPREAD.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

THE IMPROPER USE OF CARBURETOR HEAT WHICH RESULTED IN A POWER LOSS DUE TO CARBURETOR ICE OVER UNSUITABLE TERRAIN. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE THE CARBURETOR ICING CONDITIONS AND THE FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO BE AWARE OF THE TEMPERATURE/DEWPOINT SPREAD.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 3/31/1992
Event Day of the Week Tuesday
Time of Event 1715
Event Time Zone Eastern Standard Time
Event City PALMER
Event State MASSACHUSETTS
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 01069
Event Date Year 1992
Event Date Month 3
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport
Event Location Nearest Airport ID
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles 0
Degrees magnetic from airport 0
Airport Elevation --
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1650 Eastern Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 98
Weather Observation Facility ID ORH
Elevation of weather observation facility 1009
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 20
Time Zone of the weather observation EST
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 25000
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 3200
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Scattered
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Broken
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 30
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 6
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 0
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 10
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 10
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury None
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None 1
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All --
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 114
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date --
NTSB Notification Time 0
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 45994
Date of most recent change to record Dec 11 2000 2:48PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N3047N
NTSB Number NYC92LA071
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Substantial
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name CESSNA
Aircraft Model 140
Aircraft Series Identifier 140
Aircraft Serial Number 13305
Certified Max Gross Weight 1450
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 2
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Jun 20 1988 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 3
Airframe Hours 3884
ELT Installed Unknown
ELT Activated Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name DONALD BRADLEY
Aircraft Owner Street Address 21 DOANG TERR.
Aircraft Owner City SO. HADLEY
Aircraft Owner State MA
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 01075
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name ROBERT E. MARTIN, JR.
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address 87 RAYMOND RD
Operator City WINDSOR LOCKS
Operator State CT
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 06096
Operator Code
Owner has at least one certificate None
Other Operator of large aircraft? No
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation Unknown
Operator Certificate Number --
Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not --
Indicates Domestic or International Flight --
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail --
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Ferry
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code MMK
Departure City MERIDEN
Departure State CT
Departure Country
Departure Time 1615
Departure Time Zone EST
Destination Same as Local Flt crash at destination city
Destination Airport Code
Destination City
Destination State
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Descent
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:34AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 0
Runway Length --
Runway Width --
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --