Cessna 182F N3543Y

Summary

On 26 November 1997 at about 16:45 local time, a Cessna 182F registered N3543Y, operated by Van M. Pray JR., was involved in an accident near Palmdale, California, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

26 November 1997 at 16:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Palmdale, California, United States

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Cessna 182F

Registration

N3543Y

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Van M. Pray JR.

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

California City → Van Nuys

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

IMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX98LA047

Nobody was injured.

Loss of engine power due to icing conditions which plugged the fuel system vent.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot received a weather briefing using DUATS and departed the airport with no discrepancies noted with the aircraft or engine. Once airborne he activated his IFR flight plan with FSS and received his IFR clearance 10 miles north of Palmdale. He climbed to his assigned altitude of 8,000 feet msl, noted that the outside air temperature gage read +2 degrees Celsius and he turned on pitot heat. Over Palmdale he encountered IMC conditions that included heavy rain, moderate turbulence and updrafts. He reduced the power and approximately 1 minute later there was a loss of engine power. The pilot completed the emergency checklist and made two attempts to restart the engine. He declared an emergency and was provided with radar vectors to Palmdale. After touchdown in a soggy field the nose gear came off and the aircraft came to rest inverted. The aircraft recovery personnel noted that conditions at the site were 45 degrees Fahrenheit with rain and sleet. They also noted that there was a piece of ice the size of a snowball covering the fuel vent. Weather in the vicinity of Palmdale at the time of the accident was reported as 1 mile visibility with rain and a broken ceiling of 3,000 feet msl. The weather reported the previous hour was 10 miles visibility with few clouds at 3,000 feet msl and scattered at 5,000 feet msl. PIREPS in the Palmdale vicinity indicated moderate rime ice ranging in altitude from 11,000 to 21,000 feet msl by commercial aircraft.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.