Zenair CH2000 N420ZA

Summary

On 21 October 2000 at about 14:05 local time, a Zenair CH2000 registered N420ZA was involved in an accident near Springfield, Illinois, United States. One person was 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

21 October 2000 at 14:05

Classification

Accident

Location

Springfield, Illinois, United States

Nearest airport

Capital Airport (SPI)

Coordinates

39.8495, -89.6503

Aircraft

Zenair CH2000

Registration

N420ZA

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CHI01LA019

Nobody was injured.

the loose carburetor heat control clamp bolt and carburetor heat not available to the pilot. Factors were the low altitude, the carburetor icing conditions, the fence and the security gate.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airplane was substantially damaged when it struck a gate and a fence during a forced landing after takeoff. The pilot said that at about 450 feet agl, "...the engine started to run very erratic with an appreciable loss of thrust...." He said that the engine was not producing enough thrust to maintain level flight. A forced landing was attempted on an airport road. No mechanical malfunction was listed in the pilot's written report. The aircraft engine was examined and the nut that secures the carburetor heat control cable housing was found loose. According to the inspectors report, "... full travel of the carburetor heat valve could not be achieved." A postaccident engine run was conducted and the engine ran at idle power with "slight roughness". Engine speed was increased to 1700 rpm and a magneto check performed with the right magneto showing about a 150-rpm drop, and the left showing about a 125-rpm drop. The engine produced 2400 static rpm at full throttle. The weather report listed the temperature and dew point as 13 degrees Celsius and 11 degrees Celsius respectively. According to the Carburetor Icing chart from Transport Canada, this temperature and dew point are in the range for serious icing potential at all power settings.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.