Zenair CH2T N285AM

Summary

On 6 March 2014 at about 03:30 local time, a Zenair CH2T registered N285AM, operated by KS Aviation, was involved in an accident near Woodland, California, 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

6 March 2014 at 03:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Woodland, California, United States

Coordinates

38.5667, -121.8500

Aircraft

Zenair CH2T

Registration

N285AM

Category

Airplane

Year built

2004

Engines

1

Operator

KS Aviation

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Merced → Woodland

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

WPR14LA153

Nobody was injured.

A total loss of engine power during approach due to carburetor icing, which resulted in an off-airport landing into trees.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The flight instructor reported that the airplane entered clouds as it was descending during the training instrument approach. The flight instructor suggested that the student pilot increase the descent rate to pass through the clouds more quickly. After about 1 to 2 minutes in the clouds, the student reduced the engine power and pitched the airplane slightly down to increase the descent rate. Immediately thereafter, the engine speed dropped to between 800 and 1,000 rpm, and the propeller sounded as if it were windmilling. The flight instructor took control of the airplane and completed a mental emergency checklist with the student confirming the steps, which included applying carburetor heat; however, the instructor's attempts to restore engine power were unsuccessful. The airplane exited the cloud layer between 1,500 and 2,500 ft. The flight instructor declared a Mayday with approach control as he and the student completed the emergency checklist again with no results. The flight instructor initiated an off-airport landing, and, during the landing roll, the airplane collided with trees. A postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. The weather conditions encountered at the time of the accident were conducive to the formation of serious carburetor icing at cruise power. It is likely that carburetor ice formed during the descent and that the extended low-power setting prevented the engine temperature from getting high enough to melt the ice.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.