Piper PA-11 N4550M

Summary

On 26 May 2014 at about 23:30 local time, a Piper PA-11 registered N4550M was involved in an accident near Cooperstown, New York, United States. 2 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

26 May 2014 at 23:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Cooperstown, New York, United States

Nearest airport

Cooperstown-Westville (K23)

Coordinates

42.6292, -74.8911

Aircraft

Piper PA-11

Registration

N4550M

Category

Airplane

Year built

1949

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Cooperstown → Cooperstown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA14LA261

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s delayed use of carburetor heat during the approach to landing, which resulted in the formation of carburetor ice, a partial loss of engine power, and the airplane’s subsequent inability to sustain flight.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that he completed several takeoffs and landings and then made a scenic flight in the vicinity of the airport. As he was preparing to land, the pilot noticed a "considerable" loss of engine power, which he attributed to carburetor ice. As in the past, he applied carburetor heat, but the airplane would not climb and it was rapidly losing altitude. The pilot decided to land on the road next to the airport, but, with the loss of engine power, the airplane "dropped" over some trees and impacted a power pole. The airplane then spun around and collided with a pole barn. Ground slash marks and propeller blade leading edge damage indicated that the engine was still under partial power when the airplane hit the ground. The pilot did not note any preexisting mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. A Federal Aviation Administration carburetor icing probability chart indicated the probability of "serious icing at glide power." The pilot stated that he should have applied carburetor heat earlier in the approach.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.