What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.4)Prior to departure, the pilot received a weather briefing, which included forecast moderate icing and pilot reports of icing moving into his planned route of flight. The airplane was not approved for flight into known icing conditions. However, the pilot elected to depart, and en route he encountered airframe icing. He requested a lower altitude, and then reported that the engine was loosing power. Unable to maintain altitude, the pilot performed a forced landing in a wooded area. An inspector from the FAA reported no evidence of a mechanical failure or malfunction was found with the airframe or engine. The spark plugs were sooty, and the air filter was soaked with water. A witness near the accident site reported fog and snow at the time of the accident. (-23) the aircraft was on an IFR flight from wheeling, WV (hlg) to savannah, ga (sav) when the flight encountered icing conditions south of elkins, WV on V37. The flight was at 8000 feet and climbed to 10000 feet when the pilot reported that he was picking up rime ice and requested a lower altitude. The pilot reported engine difficulty and requested radar vectors to the NE arest airport. He was cleared to descend to 6000 feet and given a turn toward Lewisburg, WV (lwb) airport. The pilot was unable to maintain altitude, over mountainous terrain, and impacted the ground approximately 12 miles north of the Lewisburg, WV (lwb) airport causing substantial damage to the aircraft and serious injuries to himself. The pilot holds a commercial airman certificate with helicopter/instrument rating and a private airplane single engine land/instrument rating.
As the FAA filed it
(.4)PRIOR TO DEPARTURE, THE PILOT RECEIVED A WEATHER BRIEFING, WHICH INCLUDED FORECAST MODERATE ICING AND PILOT REPORTS OF ICING MOVING INTO HIS PLANNED ROUTE OF FLIGHT. THE AIRPLANE WAS NOT APPROVED FOR FLIGHT INTO KNOWN ICING CONDITIONS. HOWEVER, THE PILOT ELECTED TO DEPART, AND EN ROUTE HE ENCOUNTERED AIRFRAME ICING. HE REQUESTED A LOWER ALTITUDE, AND THEN REPORTED THAT THE ENGINE WAS LOOSING POWER. UNABLE TO MAINTAIN ALTITUDE, THE PILOT PERFORMED A FORCED LANDING IN A WOODED AREA. AN INSPECTOR FROM THE FAA REPORTED NO EVIDENCE OF A MECHANICAL FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION WAS FOUND WITH THE AIRFRAME OR ENGINE. THE SPARK PLUGS WERE SOOTY, AND THE AIR FILTER WAS SOAKED WITH WATER. A WITNESS NEAR THE ACCIDENT SITE REPORTED FOG AND SNOW AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. (-23) THE AIRCRAFT WAS ON AN IFR FLIGHT FROM WHEELING, WV (HLG) TO SAVANNAH, GA (SAV) WHEN THE FLIGHT ENCOUNTERED ICING CONDITIONS SOUTH OF ELKINS, WV ON V37. THE FLIGHT WAS AT 8000 FEET AND CLIMBED TO 10000 FEET WHEN THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE WAS PICKING UP RIME ICE AND REQUESTED A LOWER ALTITUDE. THE PILOT REPORTED ENGINE DIFFICULTY AND REQUESTED RADAR VECTORS TO THE NE AREST AIRPORT. HE WAS CLEARED TO DESCEND TO 6000 FEET AND GIVEN A TURN TOWARD LEWISBURG, WV (LWB) AIRPORT. THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN ALTITUDE, OVER MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN, AND IMPACTED THE GROUND APPROXIMATELY 12 MILES NORTH OF THE LEWISBURG, WV (LWB) AIRPORT CAUSING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT AND SERIOUS INJURIES TO HIMSELF. THE PILOT HOLDS A COMMERCIAL AIRMAN CERTIFICATE WITH HELICOPTER/INSTRUMENT RATING AND A PRIVATE AIRPLANE SINGLE ENGINE LAND/INSTRUMENT RATING.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N1830Q · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.