Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Bethel, Alaska 99559
Wednesday, September 9, 1992 16:30 AKD

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE PILOT IN COMMAND/FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR REPORTED THAT THE ENGINE BEGAN TO RUN ROUGH ABOUT TWO HOURS INTO THE FLIGHT. FULL CARBURETOR HEAT WAS APPLIED AND THE ROUGHNESS DISAPPEARED. ABOUT 30 MINUTES LATER, THE ENGINE ROUGHNESS REAPPEARED. ENGINE INSTRUMENT INDICATIONS WERE NORMAL. THE ENGINE COUGHED AND SPUTTERED, BUT LITTLE FLUCTUATION IN RPM WAS NOTED. FULL CARBURETOR HEAT WAS ONCE AGAIN APPLIED BUT THE ENGINE QUIT AND ATTEMPTS AT RESTARTING WERE NOT SUCCESSFUL. THE ENGINE STARTED AND RAN NORMALLY (RESTRICTED TO LOW RPM DUE TO MOTOR MOUNT DAMAGE) DURING A POST ACCIDENT STATIC EXAMINATION AND OPERATIONAL CHECK. ALL ENGINE CONTROLS WERE INTACT. NO FOREIGN MATERIAL/CONTAMINANTS WAS FOUND IN THE WING TANKS, ENGINE FUEL STRAINER, AND CARBURETOR FINGER SCREEN. THE TEMPERATURE/DEW POINT AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WAS 44 DEG AND 30 DEG RESPECTIVELY. ACCORDING TO THE CARB ICING PROB CHART SERIOUS ICING AT CRUISE POWER WAS POSSIBLE AT THE AMBIENT CONDITIONS.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

THE CARBURETOR ICING CONDITIONS AND THE DELAY BY THE PILOT IN COMMAND/CFI IN USING CARBURETOR HEAT.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 9/9/1992
Event Day of the Week Wednesday
Time of Event 1630
Event Time Zone --
Event City BETHEL
Event State ALASKA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 99559
Event Date Year 1992
Event Date Month 9
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 Full
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1451 Atlantic Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 140
Weather Observation Facility ID BET
Elevation of weather observation facility 123
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 40
Time Zone of the weather observation ADT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 8500
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 2800
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) 7
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) -1
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 330
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 12
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30
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 2
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All --
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 573
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Sep 9 1992 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 2130
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 47971
Date of most recent change to record Dec 11 2000 3:17PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N7763F
NTSB Number ANC92LA167
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed VFR
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Substantial
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name CESSNA
Aircraft Model 150
Aircraft Series Identifier 150
Aircraft Serial Number 150 63863
Certified Max Gross Weight 1600
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 Jul 9 1992 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 42
Airframe Hours 4662
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name WILLIAM T. O BRIEN
Aircraft Owner Street Address BOX 2255
Aircraft Owner City BETHEL
Aircraft Owner State AK
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 99559
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name HUGH T. YOUNGERS
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address 2015 MERRILL FIELD DRIVE
Operator City ANCHORAGE
Operator State AK
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 99501
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) Instructional
Second Pilot on Board Yes
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code
Departure City PORT ALSWORTH
Departure State AK
Departure Country
Departure Time 1400
Departure Time Zone ADT
Destination Same as Local Flt crash at destination city
Destination Airport Code
Destination City
Destination State
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Cruise
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:30AM
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 --