20250209000749A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Cessna C-140 · Salome, AZ · February 9, 2025

Date: February 9, 2025 · 10:18 local
Place: Salome, AZ
Airport: Indian Hills Airpark
Phase of flight: Landing: Approach
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N4185N
NTSB investigation: NTSBWPR25LA099
Reported as: Cessna C-140
Reported engine: Continental C-85
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 890 total295 in this make and model2 in the last 90 days

N4185NRegistered now · Cessna 140S/N 13656 · Built 1947 Airframe modelCessna 140 Engine modelContinental C85 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.

Upon returning to 2AZ1 airspace and turning base for runway 26, the engine began to sputter. The pilot suspected carburetor icing and immediately applied carb heat. Momentarily, the sputtering stopped, but the engine soon failed completely.

While turning final, the aircraft was misaligned with the runway centerline and losing speed and altitude. The aircraft descended rapidly, striking the tops of trees. As it continued downward, the left wingtip hit tall, stationary fence posts, causing the aircraft to yaw approximately 90 degrees to the left. The right side of the aircraft impacted the ground, shearing off the right main landing gear and causing significant damage to the right wing. Both wings and the fuselage sustained substantial damage before and after the ground impact. According to the pilot, the fuel selector switch was in the "both" position at the time of the accident.

As the FAA filed it

UPON RETURNING TO 2AZ1 AIRSPACE AND TURNING BASE FOR RUNWAY 26, THE ENGINE BEGAN TO SPUTTER. THE PILOT SUSPECTED CARBURETOR ICING AND IMMEDIATELY APPLIED CARB HEAT. MOMENTARILY, THE SPUTTERING STOPPED, BUT THE ENGINE SOON FAILED COMPLETELY.

WHILE TURNING FINAL, THE AIRCRAFT WAS MISALIGNED WITH THE RUNWAY CENTERLINE AND LOSING SPEED AND ALTITUDE. THE AIRCRAFT DESCENDED RAPIDLY, STRIKING THE TOPS OF TREES. AS IT CONTINUED DOWNWARD, THE LEFT WINGTIP HIT TALL, STATIONARY FENCE POSTS, CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO YAW APPROXIMATELY 90 DEGREES TO THE LEFT. THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND, SHEARING OFF THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR AND CAUSING SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO THE RIGHT WING. BOTH WINGS AND THE FUSELAGE SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE BEFORE AND AFTER THE GROUND IMPACT. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, THE FUEL SELECTOR SWITCH WAS IN THE "BOTH" POSITION AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT.

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 WPR25LA099Accident · Minor injuriesClass 4 · LimitedFinal reportSalome, AZThe total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion and the pilot’s inadequate preflight inspection.Feb 9, 2025 · Substantial damage