Cessna 172M N12805

Summary

On 29 April 2024 at about 05:27 local time, a Cessna 172M registered N12805 was involved in an accident near Clearbrook, Minnesota, 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

29 April 2024 at 05:27

Classification

Accident

Location

Clearbrook, Minnesota, United States

Coordinates

47.6980, -95.4318

Aircraft

Cessna 172M

Registration

N12805

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

Stanley → Bemidji

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Night

NTSB number

CEN24LA168

1 person was seriously injured.

The pilot’s delayed use of carburetor heat which resulted in the loss of engine power due to carburetor icing.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that he had just been cleared to fly the GPS approach in night instrument meteorological conditions when the engine rpm decreased. The pilot turned on the carburetor heat, enrichened the fuel mixture, and advanced the throttle forward in order to troubleshoot the loss of engine power; however, there was no change in the engine operations. The pilot did not recall the accident sequence. Security video footage showed that the airplane touched down on the top of a one-story building, then impacted a retaining wall and the ground. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the engine mounts and forward fuselage. A postaccident examination of the engine revealed no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. The investigators determined that there should have been adequate fuel to complete the flight. The temperature was about 37° F and the dew point was about 35° F. According to the carburetor icing probability graph conditions were conducive for serious icing at cruise power. The loss of engine power was likely due to the accumulation of carburetor icing during the flight. While the pilot did activate the carburetor heat, it is likely that the ice had already accumulated to a point that the carburetor heat was insufficient to melt the ice and restore full engine power.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.