Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Birchwood Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Birchwood, Alaska 99567
Thursday, March 29, 1990 11:50 AST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
WHILE ON FINAL APCH TO PRACTICE A TOUCH-&-GO LANDING, THE PLT NOTICED AN INCREASE IN THE ACFT'S RATE OF DSCNT. HE ADVANCED THE THROTTLE TO CORRECT THE RATE OF DSCNT, BUT THE ENG DID NOT RESPOND. HE THEN APPLIED FULL THROTTLE, BUT THERE WAS STILL NO RESPONSE. THE ACFT TOUCHED DOWN SHORT OF THE RWY ON SNW COVERED TERRAIN IN VARIABLE WIND CONDS & THENOSE GEAR COLLAPSED. JUST BEFORE TOUCHDOWN, THE MAIN GEAR HIT THE TOP OF THE PERIMETER FENCE, WHICH RESULTED IN MINOR DAMAGE TO THE FENCE. AN EXAM OF THE ENG REVEALED NO MECHANICAL REASON FOR A MALFUNCTION. THE ACFT WAS EQUIPPED WITH A SUPPLEMENTAL TYPE CERTIFICATE, WHICH ALLOWED FOR THE USE OF AUTOMOTIVE FUEL. IT WAS BEING OPERATED WITH AUTOMOTIVE FUEL, WHEN THE ACDNT OCCURRED. THE TEMP & DEW POINT WERE 40 & 37 DEG, RESPECTIVELY, WHICH WERE CONDUCIVE TO CARBURETOR ICE. THE PLT RPRTD THAT HE HAD THROTTLED BACK TO 2100 RPM ON DOWNWIND, THEN ON BASE LEG, HE THROTTLED BACK TO 1600 RPM & APPLIED CARBURETOR HEAT.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
CARBURETOR ICE DUE TO THE PILOT'S IMPROPER USE OF THE CARBURETOR HEAT. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: CARBURETOR ICING CONDITIONS, UNFAVORABLE WIND, AND THE SNOW COVERED TERRAIN.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 3/29/1990 |
| Event Day of the Week | Thursday |
| Time of Event | 1150 |
| Event Time Zone | Atlantic Standard Time |
| Event City | BIRCHWOOD |
| Event State | ALASKA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 99567 |
| Event Date Year | 1990 |
| Event Date Month | 3 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | BIRCHWOOD |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | Z15 |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 0 |
| Airport Elevation | 96 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Pilot |
| Time of the weather observation | 0 |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 0 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 5000 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 2500 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Overcast |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 5 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 4 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 3 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 0 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Variable |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 0 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 5 |
| 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 | 2 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1012 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Mar 29 1990 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1220 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 42233 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 12 2000 4:49PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N61272 |
| NTSB Number | ANC90FA046 |
| 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 | 150 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 150 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 15070933 |
| 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 22 1989 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 30 |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | WILLIAM L LAFLEN |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 337 E 24TH APT #4 |
| Aircraft Owner City | ANCHORAGE |
| Aircraft Owner State | AK |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 99503 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | WILLIAM LEE LAFLEN |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 337 E 24TH #4 |
| Operator City | ANCHORAGE |
| Operator State | AK |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 99503 |
| 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) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | Z15 |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1145 |
| Departure Time Zone | AST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Landing |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:35AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 1 |
| Runway Length | 4000 |
| Runway Width | 75 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |