Piper PA-28-181 N103AV

Summary

On 16 February 2023 at about 19:31 local time, a Piper PA-28-181 registered N103AV, operated by Centennial Aviation Academy INC, was involved in an accident near Atlanta, Georgia, United States. 2 people were on board and one was seriously injured, one 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

16 February 2023 at 19:31

Classification

Accident

Location

Atlanta, Georgia, United States

Nearest airport

Dekalb-Peachtree (PDK)

Coordinates

33.8703, -84.3025

Aircraft

Piper PA-28-181

Registration

N103AV

Category

Airplane

Year built

1983

Engines

1

Operator

Centennial Aviation Academy INC

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA23LA127

1 person was seriously injured.

The flight instructor’s failure to effectively utilize carburetor heat, which resulted in a total loss of engine power during initial climb due to carburetor ice that formed during the engine run-up and taxi.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

Before takeoff, the student pilot and flight instructor performed a preflight inspection and an engine run-up that included checking the carburetor heat before taxiing the airplane into position; they noted no anomalies. After takeoff, about 200 ft above ground level, the engine lost total power. The flight instructor initiated a left turn and the airplane impacted the ground near a parallel runway, resulting in substantial damage to the wings and fuselage. Postaccident examination of the engine revealed no evidence of preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. The weather conditions at the time of the accident were conducive to the formation of serious carburetor icing at glide (idle) engine power settings. Furthermore, the engine data monitor indicated that the carburetor temperature decreased to 38°F just before the loss of engine power. Thus, it is likely that during the taxi and engine run-up, a period during which the engine would typically be operating at low power, carburetor ice formed and subsequently resulted in a total loss of engine power during the initial climb.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.