Cheek Carroll HATZ/CHEEK N1957P

Summary

On 15 January 2023 at about 15:30 local time, a Cheek Carroll HATZ/CHEEK registered N1957P was involved in an accident near Brashear, Texas, 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

15 January 2023 at 15:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Brashear, Texas, United States

Nearest airport

N/A (N/A)

Coordinates

32.9842, -95.6933

Aircraft

Cheek Carroll HATZ/CHEEK

Registration

N1957P

Category

Airplane

Year built

2003

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Hilltop Lakes → Sulphur Springs

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN23LA083

Nobody was injured.

A partial loss of engine power due to the formation of carburetor ice, which resulted in the inability to maintain altitude and the subsequent hard forced landing.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported a gradual loss of engine power during cruise flight. He applied carburetor heat when the engine began running rough, which seemed to make the situation worse. Eventually, the available engine power was insufficient to maintain altitude and it became clear the airplane would not be able to reach the destination airport. The pilot executed a forced landing to a field; however, he flared too high and landed hard. The airframe sustained substantial damage to both wings and the fuselage. A postaccident engine examination revealed minor anomalies with respect to the carburetor heat system, and those anomalies may have slightly reduced the effectiveness of the carburetor heat when applied. The remaining anomalies identified during the engine examination were not consistent with a gradual loss of engine power and did not contribute to the accident. Meteorological conditions were conducive to the formation of carburetor icing during cruise flight. Based on the available information, it is likely that the formation of carburetor icing, which the carburetor heat system was unable to adequately remove, resulted in the loss of engine power. In addition, the hard landing that occurred during the forced landing may have increased the extent of damage to the airframe.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.