Cessna 150G N3394J

Summary

On 6 December 2006 at about 18:30 local time, a Cessna 150G registered N3394J was involved in an accident near Eureka, California, 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

6 December 2006 at 18:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Eureka, California, United States

Nearest airport

Murray Field (EKA)

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Cessna 150G

Registration

N3394J

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Eureka → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX07LA052

Nobody was injured.

a loss of engine power due to carburetor icing and the pilot's inadequate preflight planning and decision to operate the airplane in carburetor icing conditions with an inoperative carburetor heat system.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot departed on a personal local area flight and climbed to about 900 feet when the engine began to sputter and eventually lost power. He applied carburetor heat when the engine first began to sputter and lose power, but the engine continued to sputter and lose rpm's. The pilot attempted multiple times to restart the engine to no avail, and finally ditched the airplane in a shallow body of sea water, about 12 feet deep, next to a boat and oyster farm. Post accident examination of the airplane by an FAA airworthiness inspector revealed that both fuel tanks were 1/2 full with auto fuel. The left wing sustained substantial damage and was crushed from the leading edge aft to the spar. No preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures were identified. The inspector further noted that a placard was found above the carburetor heat control knob that stated it was inoperative. A review of the weather data available for the area revealed a temperature and dew point that were conducive to serious icing at a cruise power setting.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.