Piper PA-22 N968A

Summary

On 30 March 2007 at about 23:45 local time, a Piper PA-22 registered N968A, operated by Judith Masura, was involved in an accident near Enumclaw, Washington, 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

30 March 2007 at 23:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Enumclaw, Washington, United States

Coordinates

47.2150, -122.0133

Aircraft

Piper PA-22

Registration

N968A

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Judith Masura

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Puyallup → Puyallup

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

SEA07CA086

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's failure to apply carburetor heat during cruise flight. Factors include ambient weather conditions that were conducive to carburetor icing, and soft, muddy terrain at the location where the pilot attempted the power-off forced landing.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

While in cruise flight in ambient weather conditions under which the aircraft's carburetor was susceptible to icing (temperature 10 degres C, and dew point 7 degrees C), the engine began to lose power. Although the pilot switched fuel tanks, she did not apply carburetor heat, and eventually all engine power was lost. The pilot attempted a forced landing in a nearby field, but during the landing roll the aircraft encountered soft, muddy terrain, whereupon it rocked from side to side with sufficient amplitude to result in the wingtips coming in contact with the terrain. A post-accident inspection of the engine found no anomalies that would have kept the engine from running under non-icing conditions.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.