What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
09-18-2010:Flight in VFR cruise southbound flying off the Beach approx. 1200 ft. altitude when 1/2 mile north of breakers hotel in Palm Beach, Florida the engine went to idle. Pilot stated the engine throttle control was not responding and felt different than normal. Pilot turned north and east looked for landing area and found unpopulated area north of the public Beach adjacent 120 casa benito, Palm Beach, FL. Pilot executed soft field landing to Beach with approximately 15 knot right crosswind. On landing, left wing tip struck Beach upslope of Beach and prop dug into sand as nose wheel came down. The pilot and passenger (pilots daughter) exited aircraft without injury. The aircraft incured damaged to left wing and prop blade. FAA iic permitted movement of aircraft from landing site for rising tide due to time enroute to scene. Initial inspection at scene found throttle controls working carburetor normal from stop to stop. Investigation to continue after aircraft recovered to suitable facility, lutech inc. jet (FAA repair station 1LUR269B), located at north county airport (F45) 561-622-8665.09-20-2010: contacted lutech for further investigation scheduled for 09-21-2010.09-21-2010:at lutech, inc. further examination to wing confirmed major damage to left wing spar and wing attachment frames on the wing. Additional findings required upgrade of this report from incident to accident. Engine run up accomplished to 1600RPM with replacement of bent prop. Engine started immediately and ran at idle normally, increased and decreased throttle inputs were normal. The operation of carburetor heat applied and removed was also normal. Suspect carburetor icing due to lack of carburetor heat application prior to accident.10-04-2010:carburetor tear down at FAA repair station # T7KR/tropic air power at lantana airport (lna) found no mechanical issues with carburetor condition. Fuel trapped in carburetor was clean with no debris.
As the FAA filed it
09-18-2010:FLIGHT IN VFR CRUISE SOUTHBOUND FLYING OFF THE BEACH APPROX. 1200 FT. ALTITUDE WHEN 1/2 MILE NORTH OF BREAKERS HOTEL IN PALM BEACH, FLORIDA THE ENGINE WENT TO IDLE. PILOT STATED THE ENGINE THROTTLE CONTROL WAS NOT RESPONDING AND FELT DIFFERENT THAN NORMAL. PILOT TURNED NORTH AND EAST LOOKED FOR LANDING AREA AND FOUND UNPOPULATED AREA NORTH OF THE PUBLIC BEACH ADJACENT 120 CASA BENITO, PALM BEACH, FL. PILOT EXECUTED SOFT FIELD LANDING TO BEACH WITH APPROXIMATELY 15 KNOT RIGHT CROSSWIND. ON LANDING, LEFT WING TIP STRUCK BEACH UPSLOPE OF BEACH AND PROP DUG INTO SAND AS NOSE WHEEL CAME DOWN. THE PILOT AND PASSENGER (PILOTS DAUGHTER) EXITED AIRCRAFT WITHOUT INJURY. THE AIRCRAFT INCURED DAMAGED TO LEFT WING AND PROP BLADE. FAA IIC PERMITTED MOVEMENT OF AIRCRAFT FROM LANDING SITE FOR RISING TIDE DUE TO TIME ENROUTE TO SCENE. INITIAL INSPECTION AT SCENE FOUND THROTTLE CONTROLS WORKING CARBURETOR NORMAL FROM STOP TO STOP. INVESTIGATION TO CONTINUE AFTER AIRCRAFT RECOVERED TO SUITABLE FACILITY, LUTECH INC.JET (FAA REPAIR STATION 1LUR269B), LOCATED AT NORTH COUNTY AIRPORT (F45) 561-622-8665.09-20-2010: CONTACTED LUTECH FOR FURTHER INVESTIGATION SCHEDULED FOR 09-21-2010.09-21-2010:AT LUTECH, INC. FURTHER EXAMINATION TO WING CONFIRMED MAJOR DAMAGE TO LEFT WING SPAR AND WING ATTACHMENT FRAMES ON THE WING. ADDITIONAL FINDINGS REQUIRED UPGRADE OF THIS REPORT FROM INCIDENT TO ACCIDENT. ENGINE RUN UP ACCOMPLISHED TO 1600RPM WITH REPLACEMENT OF BENT PROP. ENGINE STARTED IMMEDIATELY AND RAN AT IDLE NORMALLY, INCREASED AND DECREASED THROTTLE INPUTS WERE NORMAL. THE OPERATION OF CARBURETOR HEAT APPLIED AND REMOVED WAS ALSO NORMAL.SUSPECT CARBURETOR ICING DUE TO LACK OF CARBURETOR HEAT APPLICATION PRIOR TO ACCIDENT.10-04-2010:CARBURETOR TEAR DOWN AT FAA REPAIR STATION # T7KR/TROPIC AIR POWER AT LANTANA AIRPORT (LNA) FOUND NO MECHANICAL ISSUES WITH CARBURETOR CONDITION. FUEL TRAPPED IN CARBURETOR WAS CLEAN WITH NO DEBRIS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.