Piper PA28 N55633

Summary

On 31 August 2019 at about 12:58 local time, a Piper PA28 registered N55633 was involved in an accident near Conroe, Texas, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 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

31 August 2019 at 12:58

Classification

Accident

Location

Conroe, Texas, United States

Nearest airport

Conroe-North Houston Rgnl (CXO)

Coordinates

30.4039, -95.4372

Aircraft

Piper PA28

Registration

N55633

Category

Airplane

Year built

1973

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Palestine → Houston

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN19LA299

2 people had minor injuries.

A partial loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined based on the available evidence.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that he departed with 36 gallons of fuel on board. He completed a 25-minute flight to pick up the passenger before departing on the accident flight. About 1 hour into the flight, as the airplane approached the destination airport, the pilot performed the before landing checklist and the engine lost partial power after the pilot turned on the carburetor heat. He immediately turned the carburetor heat off then back on.    The pilot continued to troubleshoot the partial loss of engine power as he maneuvered the airplane for a forced landing, and the airplane came to rest inverted in a pond. The left wing sustained substantial damage from the water impact. Postaccident photographs showed a visible fuel sheen on the water near the submerged inverted airplane. Examination revealed that the left wing fuel tank contained no fuel. About 3 gallons of a clear liquid, which contained about 1 pint of fuel, was drained from the right wing fuel tank. The amount of fuel onboard at the time of the accident could not be determined. A postaccident examination of the engine revealed no mechanical failures or malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation. Atmospheric conditions at the time of the accident were conducive to the accumulation of serous carburetor icing at glide power settings. However, the pilot reported the partial loss of engine power occurred when he activated the carburetor heat. Based on the available evidence, the partial loss of engine power could not be determined.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.