Cessna 172 N2876Q

Summary

On 4 December 2019 at about 03:30 local time, a Cessna 172 registered N2876Q was involved in an accident near Potts Camp, Mississippi, United States. One person was on board and one was seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

4 December 2019 at 03:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Potts Camp, Mississippi, United States

Coordinates

34.6461, -89.3053

Aircraft

Cessna 172

Registration

N2876Q

Category

Airplane

Year built

1971

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Tupelo → Olive Branch

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Night

NTSB number

ERA20LA047

1 person was seriously injured.

The pilot’s delayed use of carburetor heat, which resulted in carburetor icing and a subsequent total loss of engine power.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot was conducting a flight at night when, about 20 minutes after departure, there was a total loss of engine power. He declared an emergency with air traffic control and was given radar vectors by the controller to a nearby airport, which was directly ahead of the airplane and 17 miles away. After the pilot established best glide speed and performed the emergency checklist, which included activating carburetor heat, the engine briefly restarted but lost total power a second time. The pilot then maneuvered the airplane for a forced landing on a highway. During touchdown, the airplane bounced, flipped over, and came to rest inverted, which resulted in the pilot’s serious injuries and substantial damage to the airplane. Postaccident examination of the engine and associated components revealed no mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation; adequate fuel was onboard, and no contamination was discovered. The carburetor heat control was found in the ON position. The weather conditions at the time of the accident were conducive to the accumulation of serious carburetor icing at cruise power. Although the pilot reported performing the emergency checklist, which included applying carburetor heat, it was applied sometime after the initial loss of power. The accumulation of ice in the carburetor was likely sufficient to prevent the continued operation of the engine. The loss of engine power may have been prevented had the pilot preemptively activated carburetor heat.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.