Cessna 172-M N80257

Summary

On 21 October 2013 at about 14:00 local time, a Cessna 172-M registered N80257, operated by Halderman Marc D, was involved in an accident near Hardin, Montana, United States. One person was on board and one 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

21 October 2013 at 14:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Hardin, Montana, United States

Coordinates

45.7250, -107.6006

Aircraft

Cessna 172-M

Registration

N80257

Category

Airplane

Year built

1975

Engines

1

Operator

Halderman Marc D

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Broadus → Billings

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR14LA023

1 person had minor injuries.

A rough-running engine and partial loss of power, which resulted from the pilot’s failure to use carburetor heat appropriately while operating in an area conducive to carburetor icing.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that, during cruise flight, the engine began running roughly. He began troubleshooting the problem and turned on the carburetor heat but only for a few seconds. The pilot's attempts to restore full engine power were unsuccessful, so he chose to initiate an emergency landing to a field. During the landing flare, the airplane encountered a wind gust, which pitched the airplane's nose down. The nose gear dug into the soil, and the airplane nosed over. A postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. Weather conditions in the area at the time of the accident were conducive to the formation of carburetor icing at cruise power. It is likely that the pilot did not apply carburetor heat long enough to prevent the accumulation of carburetor icing, which caused the engine to run roughly and lose partial power.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.