Cessna 170A N9176A

Summary

On 23 October 2004 at about 17:05 local time, a Cessna 170A registered N9176A was involved in an accident near Glenwood Spring, Colorado, United States. One person was on board and one was seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

23 October 2004 at 17:05

Classification

Accident

Location

Glenwood Spring, Colorado, United States

Nearest airport

Glenwood Springs Muni (GWS)

Coordinates

39.5156, -107.6867

Aircraft

Cessna 170A

Registration

N9176A

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Glenwood Spring → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

DEN05LA013

1 person was seriously injured.

the pilot's failure to use carburetor heat which resulted in the formation of carburetor ice and the loss of engine power. Related factors were conditions conducive for carburetor icing and the lack of suitable terrain for a forced landing.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

Prior to the accident, the pilot had been flying for approximately 1 hour. He stated that he descended from approximately 8,500 feet msl at an engine power setting of 2,200 rpm, without carburetor heat. This descent lasted approximately 20 to 30 minutes as he flew from west to east, approximately 60 miles. The pilot entered the traffic pattern at approximately 7,000 feet msl. He applied carburetor heat, enrichened the mixture "somewhat", and reduced power to approximately 1,500 to 1,700 rpm, "prepatory for landing." The aviation routine weather report (METAR) reported the temperature as 34 degrees Fahrenheit (F) and the dewpoint as 31 degrees F. According to the carburetor icing chart, conditions were conducive for "serious icing at cruise power."According to the pilot, he was on final approach when he "decided [the] aircraft [was] too high" and added throttle to initiate a go-around. The engine did not respond to the application of throttle. The airplane impacted the roof of a townhouse, slid down and subsequently impacted the side of an adjacent townhouse causing substantial damage to the airplane.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.