Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Chugiak, Alaska 99567
Monday, August 24, 2009 17:20 AKD

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

The airline transport pilot reported that he was approaching his destination airport at the conclusion of a local personal flight. He said that while in cruise flight at 1,200 feet above ground level, the engine began to run rough and lose power. He noticed that the carburetor air temperature was just above the carburetor ice zone marked in red on the gauge, so he applied full carburetor heat, which was followed by a complete loss of engine power. Unable to restart the engine, he selected a marshy tree-covered site as a forced landing area. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and wings during the forced landing. A Federal Aviation Administration airworthiness inspector’s postaccident inspection disclosed no evidence any preimpact mechanical problems. An aviation weather reporting station indicated that the temperature was 57 degrees F, and the dew point was 45 degrees F. When these values are entered into a carburetor icing probability chart, the results are in the "serious icing-cruise power" category. Given the lack of any mechanical anomalies it is likely that the formation of carburetor ice resulted in the loss of engine power.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

The pilot’s delayed use of carburetor heat while operating in conditions conducive to carburetor icing.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 8/24/2009
Event Day of the Week Monday
Time of Event 1720
Event Time Zone --
Event City Chugiak
Event State ALASKA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 99567
Event Date Year 2009
Event Date Month 8
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude 612724N
Event Location Longitude 1492213W
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 --
Investigator's weather source Pilot
Time of the weather observation
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) --
Weather Observation Facility ID --
Elevation of weather observation facility --
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) --
Time Zone of the weather observation --
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 8000
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 6000
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Thin Broken
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) 17
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) --
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) --
Variable Wind Indicator --
Wind Speed (knots) --
Wind Velocity Indicator Calm
Wind Gust Indicator --
Wind Gust (knots) --
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) --
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation --
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Minor
On Ground, Fatal Injuries --
On Ground, Minor Injuries --
On Ground, Serious Injuries --
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor 4
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 4
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 26769
NTSB Notification Source Anchorage Police Department
NTSB Notification Date --
NTSB Notification Time --
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information --
Date of most recent change to record Apr 2 2010 12:53PM
User who most recently changed record stam
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N4601A
NTSB Number ANC09LA086
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 180
Aircraft Series Identifier --
Aircraft Serial Number 32199
Certified Max Gross Weight --
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class --
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 Feb 26 2009 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 27
Airframe Hours 5824
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Yes
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type C91-A
Aircraft Owner Name BEAM DOUGLAS JADE
Aircraft Owner Street Address --
Aircraft Owner City CHUGIAK
Aircraft Owner State AK
Aircraft Owner Country USA
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 99567
Operator is an individual? No
Operator Name BEAM DOUGLAS JADE
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address --
Operator City CHUGIAK
Operator State AK
Operator Country USA
Operator Zip code 99567
Operator Code --
Owner has at least one certificate None
Other Operator of large aircraft? No
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 BCV
Departure City Chugiak
Departure State AK
Departure Country USA
Departure Time 1600
Departure Time Zone ADT
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code BCV
Destination City Chugiak
Destination State AK
Destination Country USA
Specific Phase of Flight --
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Apr 2 2010 12:52PM
User who most recently changed record stam
Since inspection or accident Time of Accident
Event Location Runway Number and Location --
Runway Length --
Runway Width --
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --