Piper PA-28-180 N8376W

Summary

On 16 April 2023 at about 17:10 local time, a Piper PA-28-180 registered N8376W was involved in an accident near Riverside, California, United States. 3 people were on board and 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 April 2023 at 17:10

Classification

Accident

Location

Riverside, California, United States

Nearest airport

Riverside Municipal (KRAL)

Coordinates

33.9555, -117.4838

Aircraft

Piper PA-28-180

Registration

N8376W

Category

Airplane

Year built

1965

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Riverside → La Verne

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR23LA156

1 person had minor injuries.

The pilot’s failure to use carburetor heat during an extended ground delay before takeoff, which resulted in a total loss of engine power during initial climb due to carburetor ice.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot completed the airplane’s engine run-up and carburetor heat function checks with no anomalies noted. He then taxied to the runway and experienced an extended ground delay with the engine running at idle engine power settings. He did not use carburetor heat during the ground delay or during takeoff. About 1,000 ft above ground level (agl), during the initial climb, the engine lost all power. The pilot initiated a forced landing to a field ahead of the airplane’s position and subsequently struck terrain. Postaccident examination of the engine revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunction or failure 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. It is likely that during the post run-up taxi and ground delay, a period during which the engine would typically be operating at low or idle power settings, carburetor ice formed that resulted in a total loss of engine power during the initial climb.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.