Cessna 120 N6RP

Summary

On 30 April 2002 at about 13:10 local time, a Cessna 120 registered N6RP was involved in an accident near Racine, Wisconsin, United States. One person was on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

30 April 2002 at 13:10

Classification

Accident

Location

Racine, Wisconsin, United States

Nearest airport

John H Batten (RAC)

Coordinates

42.7494, -87.8104

Aircraft

Cessna 120

Registration

N6RP

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Sturtevant → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CHI02LA118

1 person had minor injuries.

The inadequate weather evaluation and delayed application of carburetor heat by the pilot, and the unsuitable terrain encountered during the forced landing. The carburetor icing conditions and the low altitude were factors.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airplane struck a building during a forced landing following a loss of engine power during a landing approach. The pilot said that when he was 6.5 - 7 miles from his destination, he switched to the right fuel tank. He said the right fuel tank was "fullest". He reported that the engine stopped developing power as he neared the base leg of the traffic pattern. He said the power loss happened as he was making a power reduction. The pilot said that he verified the carburetor heat and magneto switch positions and he then attempted to restart the engine. The pilot stated that he had applied carburetor heat at, "...midpoint on downwind." The pilot said that he was in an area with, "...too many homes between [his] loaction and the [airport]." No anomalies were found with respect to the airframe, engine, or systems that could be identified as existing prior to impact. The weather at the destination airport listed a temperature of 9 degrees Celsius and a dew point of 1 degrees Celsius. According to a carburetor icing probability chart, the temperature and dew point were in the range of serious icing at descent power or moderate icing at cruise power.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.