Piper PA-14 N5126H

Summary

On 15 July 2010 at about 19:37 local time, a Piper PA-14 registered N5126H, operated by Bradbury Douglas, was involved in an accident near King Salmon, Alaska, United States. 4 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

15 July 2010 at 19:37

Classification

Accident

Location

King Salmon, Alaska, United States

Nearest airport

King Salmon (PAKN)

Coordinates

58.7617, -156.6083

Aircraft

Piper PA-14

Registration

N5126H

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Bradbury Douglas

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Igiugig → King Salmon

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

IMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ANC10LA061

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's failure to use continuous carburetor heat while operating in carburetor icing conditions, resulting in carburetor ice and subsequent partial loss of engine power.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that the weather at his destination airport had deteriorated to a 500-700 foot ceiling with 10 miles of visibility. He was instructed by air traffic control personnel to hold outside the airport's controlled airspace, and to expect a special visual flight rules clearance in 30 minutes. Throughout the hold, the pilot cycled the carburetor heat intermittently on and off. After about 25 minutes holding, he decided to reposition to a location between his destination and alternate airport. As he started to fly towards this new position, the engine began losing rpm and running rough. He applied carburetor heat and full mixture, but the engine continued to run rough. He made a forced landing along the edge of a stream, during which the right wing and fuselage received substantial damage. About the time of the accident, the destination airport reported both the temperature and dew point as 07 degrees Celsius. According to the Federal Aviation Administration Carburetor Icing Probability Chart, an aircraft encountering those ambient conditions could expect serious carburetor icing while at cruise power. Examination of the airplane and engine revealed no mechanical failures or malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.