Cessna 152 N64988

Summary

On 16 April 2009 at about 14:15 local time, a Cessna 152 registered N64988, operated by Sunrise Aviation, was involved in an accident near Cross City, Florida, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 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

16 April 2009 at 14:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Cross City, Florida, United States

Coordinates

29.6356, -83.1047

Aircraft

Cessna 152

Registration

N64988

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Sunrise Aviation

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Cross City → Ormond Beach

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA09LA247

2 people had minor injuries.

Loss of engine power for undetermined reasons.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

While climbing through 3,400 feet mean seal level (msl), the newly certificated private pilot noticed that the engine power decreased by approximately 300 rpm; however, the engine was running smoothly with no abnormal noise. The pilot verified that the engine controls were in the proper position and he then positioned the carburetor heat to "ON." The engine power continued a steady decay to 1,400 rpm as the airplane descended to 1,000 feet msl and the pilot elected to perform a forced landing to a field that he had been circling. During the landing, he overshot his intended touchdown point. The airplane subsequently struck two fence posts and came to rest inverted in the field. Review of fueling records revealed that the airplane had adequate fuel to complete the round trip cross-country flight. The engine crankshaft and carburetor were damaged during impact, which limited the field examination of those components. The cabin heat was noted in the "ON" position and the carburetor heat was in the "OFF" position; however, the carburetor box had been pulled from the airframe during impact. Examination of the wreckage could not identify the reason for the engine power loss. Review of a Federal Aviation Administration Carburetor Icing Chart revealed "Serious icing - glide power" for the reported temperature and dew point conditions.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.