Cessna 172E N3750S

Summary

On 21 November 2004 at about 19:30 local time, a Cessna 172E registered N3750S was involved in an accident near Rupert, West Virginia, United States. 3 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

21 November 2004 at 19:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Rupert, West Virginia, United States

Coordinates

37.8833, -80.5000

Aircraft

Cessna 172E

Registration

N3750S

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Business

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Smithfield → Summersville

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

IAD05LA013

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s delayed application of carburetor heat, which resulted in a rough running engine. A factor was the bulldozer on the logging road where the pilot performed a precautionary landing.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

While in cruise flight, the air temperature was 35 degrees at 4,500 feet, and the cabin heat was turned on. About 10 to 20 minutes later, the airplane encountered light mist, and approximately 40-50 nautical miles later, with deteriorating weather, the pilot decided to turn around. Shortly thereafter, "the engine was not making full power and was missing. Carburetor ice was suspected with the high humidity and the low outside air temperature." The pilot applied carburetor heat for about 1 minute, but it had no effect. The engine continued to run roughly, and engine rpm decreased to approximately 2,000 to 2,100 rpm. The pilot reapplied carburetor heat, but there was no improvement in engine performance. The pilot felt that he could not safely transition higher terrain en route to his destination, so he decided to make a precautionary landing on a logging road. During the landing, the pilot noticed a bulldozer on the road. The pilot swerved the airplane off the road to avoid the bulldozer, and the left wing impacted a tree.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.