What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Rough engine. Used carb heat no better. Turned back. Engine quit on final. Landed short. Possible heat too late. (.4)while in cruise flight, the airplane's engine experienced a decrease in RPM and began to run rough. The pilot added carburetor heat and the RPM increased. When the pilot removed the carburetor heat the engine began to run rough again, so he reapplied and maintained full carburetor heat. However, after a few moments, the engine began to run rough again. The pilot said he reached his destination airport at an altitude of about 2,500-2,600 feet and began a slow spiral to enter the traffic pattern at 1,400 feet. The engine began to run rougher while in the traffic pattern and the engine lost power during the final approach. The airplane crashed about 1/2 mile from the approach end of the runway. Examination of the wreckage did not reveal any pre-impact failures of the airframe or engine. The temperature and dewpoint reported at airports about 10 miles south, and about 45 miles east of the accident site, were 37 and 18 degrees f; and 43 and 21 degrees f, respectively . (-23) on Tuesday, March 17, 1998, a Cessna 150, N704GP, registered to erie airways, on a day VFR flight from 0G0 airport to the rochester, NY area, at 8000-9000 ft. MSL, began running slightly rough around genesee county airport (gvq). The PIC stated that he applied carburetor heat, however the engine continued to run rough. The aircraft approached the vicinity of the departure airport at approximately 2500-2600 ft. MSL and initiated a spiral descent northwest of the airport. On final approach, the engine failed completely at approximately 100 feet AGL and the aircraft landed in a brushline, between two fields, approximately 1/2 mile west and slightly north of the extended centerline of runway at north buffalo Suburban airport. Preliminary on-site investigation of the aircraft engine, by an FAA airworthiness inspector, revealed no apparent external defects. Both aircraft fuel tanks and the carburetor sump contained 100LL fuel. On-scene fuel samples were uncontaminated.
As the FAA filed it
ROUGH ENGINE. USED CARB HEAT NO BETTER. TURNED BACK. ENGINE QUIT ON FINAL. LANDED SHORT. POSSIBLE HEAT TOO LATE. (.4)WHILE IN CRUISE FLIGHT, THE AIRPLANE'S ENGINE EXPERIENCED A DECREASE IN RPM AND BEGAN TO RUN ROUGH. THE PILOT ADDED CARBURETOR HEAT AND THE RPM INCREASED. WHEN THE PILOT REMOVED THE CARBURETOR HEAT THE ENGINE BEGAN TO RUN ROUGH AGAIN, SO HE REAPPLIED AND MAINTAINED FULL CARBURETOR HEAT. HOWEVER, AFTER A FEW MOMENTS, THE ENGINE BEGAN TO RUN ROUGH AGAIN. THE PILOT SAID HE REACHED HIS DESTINATION AIRPORT AT AN ALTITUDE OF ABOUT 2,500-2,600 FEET AND BEGAN A SLOW SPIRAL TO ENTER THE TRAFFIC PATTERN AT 1,400 FEET. THE ENGINE BEGAN TO RUN ROUGHER WHILE IN THE TRAFFIC PATTERN AND THE ENGINE LOST POWER DURING THE FINAL APPROACH. THE AIRPLANE CRASHED ABOUT 1/2 MILE FROM THE APPROACH END OF THE RUNWAY. EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE DID NOT REVEAL ANY PRE-IMPACT FAILURES OF THE AIRFRAME OR ENGINE. THE TEMPERATURE AND DEWPOINT REPORTED AT AIRPORTS ABOUT 10 MILES SOUTH, AND ABOUT 45 MILES EAST OF THE ACCIDENT SITE, WERE 37 AND 18 DEGREES F; AND 43 AND 21 DEGREES F, RESPECTIVELY . (-23) ON TUESDAY, MARCH 17, 1998, A CESSNA 150, N704GP, REGISTERED TO ERIE AIRWAYS, ON A DAY VFR FLIGHT FROM 0G0 AIRPORT TO THE ROCHESTER, NY AREA, AT 8000-9000 FT. MSL, BEGAN RUNNING SLIGHTLY ROUGH AROUND GENESEE COUNTY AIRPORT (GVQ). THE PIC STATED THAT HE APPLIED CARBURETOR HEAT, HOWEVER THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO RUN ROUGH. THE AIRCRAFT APPROACHED THE VICINITY OF THE DEPARTURE AIRPORT AT APPROXIMATELY 2500-2600 FT. MSL AND INITIATED A SPIRAL DESCENT NORTHWEST OF THE AIRPORT. ON FINAL APPROACH, THE ENGINE FAILED COMPLETELY AT APPROXIMATELY 100 FEET AGL AND THE AIRCRAFT LANDED IN A BRUSHLINE, BETWEEN TWO FIELDS, APPROXIMATELY 1/2 MILE WEST AND SLIGHTLY NORTH OF THE EXTENDED CENTERLINE OF RUNWAY AT NORTH BUFFALO SUBURBAN AIRPORT. PRELIMINARY ON-SITE INVESTIGATION OF THE AIRCRAFT ENGINE, BY AN FAA AIRWORTHINESS INSPECTOR, REVEALED NO APPARENT EXTERNAL DEFECTS. BOTH AIRCRAFT FUEL TANKS AND THE CARBURETOR SUMP CONTAINED 100LL FUEL. ON-SCENE FUEL SAMPLES WERE UNCONTAMINATED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.