Individually Owned: 151,845
Corporate Owned: 143,699
Black Hills -Clyde Ice Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Spearfish, South Dakota 57783
Saturday, August 25, 2012 11:00 MDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
After an uneventful cross-country flight, the solo student pilot was setting up to enter the downwind leg of the traffic pattern at his destination airport. When he applied carburetor heat, the engine rpm dropped below 1000. Unable to continue to the planned runway, the student pilot elected to land the airplane in an adjacent field. During the landing roll, the airplane struck a barbed wire fence and nosed over, coming to rest inverted. Postaccident examination of the engine revealed debris lodged in the throttle body beneath the carburetor venturi. The debris appeared to be remnants of aluminum tape or foil. Additionally, what appeared to be a small piece of exhaust insulation or asbestos wrap was found within the carburetor heat box. No other anomalies with the engine or airframe were discovered that could have contributed to the partial loss of engine power. It is unknown how long the foreign object debris was present below the carburetor venturi; however, the airplane had operated for about 3 flight hours since its most recent annual inspection, which was conducted 3 months before the accident flight. The presence of debris lodged beneath the carburetor venturi is consistent with the student pilot's statement that he experienced a loss of power and engine rpm when carburetor heat was applied.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The partial loss of engine power due to debris lodged beneath the throttle body of the carburetor venturi.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 8/25/2012 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1100 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Daylight Time |
| Event City | Spearfish |
| Event State | SOUTH DAKOTA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 57783 |
| Event Date Year | 2012 |
| Event Date Month | 8 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 444908N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1035919W |
| Event Location Airport | Black Hills Airport-Clyde Ice |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | SPF |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 1 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 3933 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1035 Mountain Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 90 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | SPF |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 3933 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 1 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | MDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 18 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 3 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 350 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 3 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.09 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | KSPF 251635Z AUTO 35003KT 10SM CLR 18/M03 A3009 RM |
| 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) | 31690 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jul 31 2013 12:26PM |
| User who most recently changed record | bowl |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N140XX |
| NTSB Number | CEN12LA580 |
| 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 | 140 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 8847 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1450 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | 1 |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | 1 |
| 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 | May 3 2012 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 1473 |
| Airframe Hours | 1476 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | Unknown |
| Aircraft Owner Name | BOWEN BRUCE C |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 3541 MAYER AVE |
| Aircraft Owner City | STURGIS |
| Aircraft Owner State | SD |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 57785-8001 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | BOWEN BRUCE C |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | 3541 MAYER AVE |
| Operator City | STURGIS |
| Operator State | SD |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 57785-8001 |
| 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 | PHP |
| Departure City | Philip |
| Departure State | SD |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1000 |
| Departure Time Zone | MDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | SPF |
| Destination City | Spearfish |
| Destination State | SD |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jun 30 2013 11:35PM |
| User who most recently changed record | lema |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | N/A |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |