Cessna 172K N4VN

Summary

On 26 January 2014 at about 23:17 local time, a Cessna 172K registered N4VN was involved in an accident near Milan, Illinois, 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 January 2014 at 23:17

Classification

Accident

Location

Milan, Illinois, United States

Nearest airport

Quad City International Airpor (MLI)

Coordinates

41.4400, -90.5592

Aircraft

Cessna 172K

Registration

N4VN

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Davenport → Milan

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN14LA134

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s delayed use of carburetor heat while operating the airplane in atmospheric conditions conducive to carburetor icing, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to carburetor icing during a short final approach.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that the airplane experienced a total loss of engine power when he applied carburetor heat during a 1-mile final approach to the destination airport. The pilot then performed a forced landing to a field. Although the pilot stated that the engine rpm decreased when he actuated the carburetor heat during the preflight run-up, postaccident examinations revealed no mechanical anomalies with the carburetor or its heat system that would have precluded normal operation. Atmospheric conditions at the time of the accident were conducive to the accumulation of carburetor icing at glide and cruise power. It is likely that the pilot's delayed use of carburetor heat resulted in a total loss of engine power due to carburetor icing.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.