Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Glasgow, Montana 59241
Saturday, June 7, 2003 9:45 MDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot of the carburetor equipped Cessna 172H was approximately 9 nautical miles west of his first fuel stop and commenced a let down through a hole in a broken cloud layer. The surface weather observation at his intended destination recorded several minutes after the accident reported two broken cloud layers at 2,600 feet and 3,400 feet, an overcast cloud layer at 7,000 feet, and temperature 53 degrees F. and dew point 45 degrees F. He reported applying carburetor heat and reducing engine RPM, and then having to descend faster and reduce engine RPM further. He continued a "gliding" descent to 4,000 feet and then re-applied power with no effect. He then executed a forced landing to a muddy, wet agricultural field during which the nose gear collapsed and the aircraft nosed over. FAA Advisory Circular 61-23B, "Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge," provides guidance for operations in carburetor icing conditions. Specifically, the reference states in part "... carburetor heat should be turned to "full-on" before closing the throttle, and left on during the closed-throttle operation...." and "...Periodically, however, the throttle should be opened smoothly for a few seconds to keep the engine warm, otherwise the carburetor heater may not provide enough heat to prevent icing...."
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
A loss of engine power due to carburetor icing. Contributing factors were carburetor icing conditions and the muddy, wet terrain at the landing site.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 6/7/2003 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 945 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Daylight Time |
| Event City | Glasgow |
| Event State | MONTANA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 59241 |
| Event Date Year | 2003 |
| Event Date Month | 6 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 481520N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1064904W |
| 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 | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 953 Mountain Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 93 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | GGW |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 2294 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 9 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | MDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 2600 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | -- |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 12 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 7 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 310 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 14 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.08 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 15020 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA SEA ROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jun 7 2003 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1030 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Mar 2 2004 8:06AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Helena FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N2786L |
| NTSB Number | SEA03LA097 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Cessna |
| Aircraft Model | 172H |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 17255986 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2300 |
| 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 | 4 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Nov 1 2002 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 50 |
| Airframe Hours | 4010 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Grenfell Inc. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | Kingsford |
| Aircraft Owner State | MI |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 49802 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Grenfell, David L. |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | -- |
| Operator State | -- |
| Operator Country | -- |
| Operator Zip code | -- |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| 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 | No |
| Departure Airport Code | S23 |
| Departure City | Ione |
| Departure State | WA |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 430 |
| Departure Time Zone | PDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | GGW |
| Destination City | Glasgow |
| Destination State | MT |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Landing |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | Nov 26 2003 12:23PM |
| User who most recently changed record | STAM |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | -- |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |