Cessna 150 N22197

Summary

On 26 October 2024 at about 14:04 local time, a Cessna 150 registered N22197 was involved in an accident near St. Agatha, Maine, 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

26 October 2024 at 14:04

Classification

Accident

Location

St. Agatha, Maine, United States

Coordinates

47.2071, -68.2727

Aircraft

Cessna 150

Registration

N22197

Category

Airplane

Year built

1967

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Frenchville → Houlton

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA25LA028

Nobody was injured.

A partial loss of engine power due to carburetor ice as a result of the pilot’s delayed use of carburetor heat while operating in environmental conditions conducive to serious carburetor icing.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

About 15 minutes into the flight, while flying at 2,500 ft mean sea level (msl), the airplane encountered environmental conditions that were favorable for the formation of serious carburetor ice at cruise engine power settings. The flight continued and the pilot noted that the engine’s output dropped from about 2,300 rpm to about 1,500 rpm. He applied carburetor heat and left it applied, cycled the fuel shutoff valve, pumped the throttle, and checked the ignition switch, but those efforts did not restore power. After descending to 2,000 ft msl, he turned to return to the departure airport but performed a forced landing in a field after recognizing the flight was unable to reach the departure airport. The nose landing gear collapsed during the landing roll after encountering a furrow, resulting in substantial damage to the engine mount and right wing. Postaccident examination of the engine and its systems revealed no evidence of preimpact failure or malfunction. A High Resolution Rapid Refresh (HRRR) model sounding created for the approximate time and location where the pilot reported the airplane began descending consistent with the reported loss of engine power revealed that the temperature and dew point were 34.5° F and 33.8° F, respectively. The values were close to 100% relative humidity. Thus, it is likely that during cruise flight carburetor ice formed and subsequently resulted in the reported loss of engine power. The pilot’s delayed application of carburetor heat during the cruise portion of the flight while operating in environmental conditions favorable for serious carburetor ice at cruise power allowed for the formation of carburetor ice.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.