Cessna 150L N17292

Summary

On 20 June 2015 at about 15:00 local time, a Cessna 150L registered N17292 was involved in an accident near Carthage, Indiana, United States. One person was 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

20 June 2015 at 15:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Carthage, Indiana, United States

Nearest airport

Small Field (IN81)

Coordinates

39.7383, -85.5719

Aircraft

Cessna 150L

Registration

N17292

Category

Airplane

Year built

1972

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Carthage → Carthage

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN15LA451

Nobody was injured.

The partial loss of engine power due to carburetor icing.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The private pilot was conducting a personal local flight in the airplane. The pilot reported that the engine lost power during initial climb after takeoff. His attempts to restore power by adjusting the fuel mixture and throttle were unsuccessful. The pilot reported that he applied carburetor heat and that the engine began running more roughly but that he left the carburetor heat activated. He subsequently conducted and off-airport landing in a corn field, and the airplane nosed over. The engine was not examined because, after the accident, the owner removed the airplane from the accident site and sold the engine. However, a mechanic who was subsequently hired to overhaul the engine reported that it had been improperly assembled with noncertificated parts. Although the engine had been improperly assembled, there was no evidence that the improper assembly resulted in the reported loss of engine power; however, the extent of the improper assembly indicated that an engine failure was imminent. The weather conditions at the time of the accident were conducive to moderate carburetor icing at cruise power and serious icing at descent power. Federal Aviation Administration guidance indicates that the application of carburetor heat may result in engine roughness while the ice melts, which is consistent with the pilot's report. Based on the available information, the engine likely lost power due to carburetor icing.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.