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20170914019369A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Beech C23 · Machias, ME · September 14, 2017

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
September 14, 2017 · 11:00 local
Place
Machias, ME
Phase of flight
Landing: Approach
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N2120W
NTSB investigation
NTSBERA17LA325
Reported as
Beech C23
Reported engine
Lycoming O&VO-360 series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
155 total85 in this make and model8 in the last 90 days
N2120WRegistration cancelled Mar 8, 2018 · Beech C23S/N M-1492 · Built 1973Airframe modelBeech C23Engine modelLycoming O&VO-360 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Thursday morning , September 14, 2017, pilot prepared a cross country flight departing kaug to

Kmvm, klrg and back to kaug. Pilot had gone over his flight plan with his flight instructor at Maine

Instrument flight. Pilot contacted flight services to file his VFR flight plan. Pilot conducted a preflight inspection of the aircraft and indicated he had full fuel tanks and everything seemed

Ok.

Pilot departed kaug at roughly 10:15 and was on his way to kmvm. Pilot indicated about 10MILES from kmvm he began descending to pattern altitude and made a radio

Call. He entered the downwind for runway 36. Everything was still going smooth. As he began his turn

For the base leg the engine started running rough, he applied carburetor heat and estimated that the engine lost all power about 15 to 20 seconds after he applied carburetor heat. Pilot started a flow check to see if I could resolve the issue. He had mixture full rich, carb heat on, and fuel boost pump on, at that point the engine

Failed completely. He cut the base leg at a 45 straight for the runway pitching for best glide rate. Pilot stated

"As I got closer I realized I was not going to make the runway. There was a small grassy area just

Before the runway. I made the decision to go for a soft field landing and roll onto the runway. I

Touched down on the grass trying to make it soft as possible and keep the nose wheel up. The

Ground was much softer than expected and the landing gears sank into the ground causing the

Nose to hit hard and break the landing gear off. The aircraft then spun around facing the direction I was coming from. I took a minute to gather myself and realized I was leaking fuel. I

Shut everything down and moved away from the aircraft. At that point bystanders rushed out to

See if I was ok." End.

As the FAA filed it

THURSDAY MORNING , SEPTEMBER 14, 2017, PILOT PREPARED A CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT DEPARTING KAUG TO

KMVM, KLRG AND BACK TO KAUG. PILOT HAD GONE OVER HIS FLIGHT PLAN WITH HIS FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR AT MAINE

INSTRUMENT FLIGHT. PILOT CONTACTED FLIGHT SERVICES TO FILE HIS VFR FLIGHT PLAN. PILOT CONDUCTED A PREFLIGHT INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT AND INDICATED HE HAD FULL FUEL TANKS AND EVERYTHING SEEMED

OK.

PILOT DEPARTED KAUG AT ROUGHLY 10:15 AND WAS ON HIS WAY TO KMVM. PILOT INDICATED ABOUT 10MILES FROM KMVM HE BEGAN DESCENDING TO PATTERN ALTITUDE AND MADE A RADIO

CALL. HE ENTERED THE DOWNWIND FOR RUNWAY 36. EVERYTHING WAS STILL GOING SMOOTH. AS HE BEGAN HIS TURN

FOR THE BASE LEG THE ENGINE STARTED RUNNING ROUGH, HE APPLIED CARBURETOR HEAT AND ESTIMATED THAT THE ENGINE LOST ALL POWER ABOUT 15 TO 20 SECONDS AFTER HE APPLIED CARBURETOR HEAT. PILOT STARTED A FLOW CHECK TO SEE IF I COULD RESOLVE THE ISSUE. HE HAD MIXTURE FULL RICH, CARB HEAT ON, AND FUEL BOOST PUMP ON, AT THAT POINT THE ENGINE

FAILED COMPLETELY. HE CUT THE BASE LEG AT A 45 STRAIGHT FOR THE RUNWAY PITCHING FOR BEST GLIDE RATE. PILOT STATED

"AS I GOT CLOSER I REALIZED I WAS NOT GOING TO MAKE THE RUNWAY. THERE WAS A SMALL GRASSY AREA JUST

BEFORE THE RUNWAY. I MADE THE DECISION TO GO FOR A SOFT FIELD LANDING AND ROLL ONTO THE RUNWAY. I

TOUCHED DOWN ON THE GRASS TRYING TO MAKE IT SOFT AS POSSIBLE AND KEEP THE NOSE WHEEL UP. THE

GROUND WAS MUCH SOFTER THAN EXPECTED AND THE LANDING GEARS SANK INTO THE GROUND CAUSING THE

NOSE TO HIT HARD AND BREAK THE LANDING GEAR OFF. THE AIRCRAFT THEN SPUN AROUND FACING THE DIRECTION I WAS COMING FROM. I TOOK A MINUTE TO GATHER MYSELF AND REALIZED I WAS LEAKING FUEL. I

SHUT EVERYTHING DOWN AND MOVED AWAY FROM THE AIRCRAFT. AT THAT POINT BYSTANDERS RUSHED OUT TO

SEE IF I WAS OK." END.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB ERA17LA325Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportMachias, METhe pilot's delay in applying carburetor heat, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to carburetor icing.Sep 14, 2017 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N2120W · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Accident 19740908029449AIdling Engines · Norfolk, VAEnplaning passenger walked into propeller. Aircraft taxi light,strobe light,rotating beacon on.Sep 8, 1974 · 1 fatal