# Engine fuel and control - Type: NTSB finding section - Path: [Aircraft](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01) › [Aircraft power plant](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/0105) › Engine fuel and control - NTSB code: 010573 - Cases: 431 - In the probable cause: 399 - Fatal cases: 53 - All cases: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/010573/cases.md - Cases with it in the probable cause: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/010573/cases.md?cause=1 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/010573 ## Cases per year (in the probable cause / all) - 2008: 30 / 34 - 2009: 23 / 25 - 2010: 24 / 26 - 2011: 33 / 33 - 2012: 28 / 32 - 2013: 20 / 20 - 2014: 22 / 24 - 2015: 23 / 25 - 2016: 22 / 22 - 2017: 16 / 16 - 2018: 24 / 26 - 2019: 17 / 21 - 2020: 18 / 19 - 2021: 20 / 22 - 2022: 22 / 24 - 2023: 18 / 20 - 2024: 31 / 33 - 2025: 5 / 6 - 2026: 3 / 3 ## Findings - [Fuel control/carburetor](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01057322): 195 cases, 181 in the probable cause - [Fuel controlling system](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01057320): 59 cases, 55 in the probable cause - [Fuel distribution](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01057310): 55 cases, 51 in the probable cause - [Engine fuel and control, general](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01057300): 49 cases, 45 in the probable cause - [Fuel pump](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01057314): 34 cases, 29 in the probable cause - [Fuel injector nozzle](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01057313): 20 cases, 18 in the probable cause - [Fuel control electronic](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01057321): 6 cases, 6 in the probable cause - [Turbine governor](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01057323): 5 cases, 5 in the probable cause - [Fuel divider](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01057324): 5 cases, 5 in the probable cause - [Fuel flow indicating](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01057331): 4 cases, 4 in the probable cause - [Fuel oil cooler](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01057311): 3 cases, 3 in the probable cause - [Fuel flow sensor](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01057333): 3 cases, 2 in the probable cause - [Fuel indicating system](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01057330): 1 cases, 1 in the probable cause - [Fuel pressure indicating](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01057332): 1 cases, 1 in the probable cause - [Fuel press sensor](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01057334): 1 cases, 1 in the probable cause - [Eng fuel sys wiring](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01057397): 1 cases, 0 in the probable cause ## Defining events in these cases - [Loss of engine power (total)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341): 145 cases - [Loss of engine power (partial)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/342): 111 cases - [Powerplant sys/comp malf/fail](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/340): 43 cases - [Fuel starvation](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/191): 28 cases - [Fire/smoke (non-impact)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/150): 24 cases - [Fuel related](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/190): 22 cases - [Loss of control in flight](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240): 14 cases - [Fuel contamination](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/193): 14 cases - [Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/330): 6 cases - [Aerodynamic stall/spin](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/241): 5 cases ## Aircraft models (registry) - [Piper PA-28-140](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-140): 9 cases - [Piper PA-28-161](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-161): 5 cases - [Cessna 172N](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172n): 5 cases - [Bell 206B](https://openairdocs.org/model/bell-206b): 5 cases - [Piper PA-32-260](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-32-260): 4 cases - [Cirrus Design SR22](https://openairdocs.org/model/cirrus-design-sr22): 4 cases - [Cessna P210N](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-p210n): 4 cases - [Beech A36](https://openairdocs.org/model/beech-a36): 4 cases - [Eurocopter AS 350 B2](https://openairdocs.org/model/eurocopter-as-350-b2): 3 cases - [Robinson Helicopter R22 BETA](https://openairdocs.org/model/robinson-helicopter-r22-beta): 3 cases ## Other findings in the same cases - [Conducive to carburetor icing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03031030) (Environmental issues): 47 cases - [Installation](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02062035) (Personnel issues): 46 cases - [Aircraft control](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040) (Personnel issues): 43 cases - [Fuel](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010) (Aircraft): 43 cases - [Use of equip/system](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063015) (Personnel issues): 30 cases - [Scheduled/routine maintenance](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02062010) (Personnel issues): 28 cases - [Decision making/judgment](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041520) (Personnel issues): 27 cases - [Lack of action](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041030) (Personnel issues): 21 cases - [Airspeed](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062010) (Aircraft): 20 cases - [Not determined, general](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/05000000) (Not determined): 19 cases ## Newest cases - [NTSB CEN26LA211](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN26LA211), Jun 1, 2026: Piper PA-28-235 (N15291), Montevideo, MN, substantial damage. Probable cause: A total loss of engine power on approach due to carburetor icing. - [NTSB ERA26LA151](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA26LA151), Mar 25, 2026: Piper PA-32-260 (N7081H), Block Island, RI, substantial damage. Probable cause: Maintenance personnel’s failure to ensure that the throttle cable was properly secured to the carburetor, which resulted an inflight separation of the throttle cable and the pilots’ inability to… - [NTSB ERA26LA105](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA26LA105), Feb 1, 2026: Piper J3C (N5930V), Brimfield, OH, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot’s failure to use carburetor heat during descent in cold temperatures, which resulted in a total loss of engine power at an altitude too low for recovery. - [NTSB WPR26LA056](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR26LA056), Dec 8, 2025: Rotorway Exec (C-GBZD), Lake Havasu City, AZ, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot’s improper securing hardware installation, which resulted in a loss of throttle control and a loss of engine power. - [NTSB ANC25LA112](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC25LA112), Sep 22, 2025: Cessna 172 (N4282F), Yakataga, AK, substantial damage. Probable cause: The total loss of engine power due to carburetor icing and the pilot’s failure to effectively use carburetor heat in meteorological conditions conducive to the formation of carburetor icing. - [NTSB ERA25LA242](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA25LA242), Jun 26, 2025: Cessna 182 (N4953N), Nahunta, GA, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot’s decision to fly an unairworthy airplane, which resulted in fire due to an unsecured carburetor bowl drain plug. - [NTSB ERA25LA189](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA25LA189), Apr 26, 2025: Champion 7GCBC (N9117L), Weyers Cave, VA, substantial damage. Probable cause: A total loss of engine power on approach due to carburetor ice. - [NTSB ANC25LA025](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC25LA025), Mar 16, 2025: Cessna 172A (N7274T), Fairbanks, AK, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot’s decision to initiate the flight despite identifying a malfunction in the carburetor heat system during the pre-takeoff engine run-up, which led to a partial loss of engine power during… - [NTSB CEN25LA077](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN25LA077), Jan 15, 2025: Piper PA-28-181 (N504AF), Addison, TX, substantial damage. Probable cause: A partial loss of engine power during takeoff due to the partial blockage of the fuel diaphragm metering stem and the No. 1 cylinder fuel injector nozzle. Contributing to the accident was maintenance… - [NTSB ERA25LA062](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA25LA062), Nov 27, 2024: Alexander S Rolinski BOT Journey (N814B), Ocean Isle Beach, NC, substantial damage. Probable cause: Maintenance personnel’s failure to identify and remediate a buildup of oxides in one of the engine’s carburetors, which resulted in the seizure of the carburetor’s piston slide and a subsequent total… NTSB has coded findings and defining events since 2008; earlier cases used its older occurrence and cause codes and aren't counted. Findings: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings.md. Defining events: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events.md. Phases of flight: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases.md. Every investigation, filtered by finding, event, phase, state, year or model: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb.md (for example ?state=MI&fatal=1). NTSB's definitions: Accident and incident, 49 CFR 830.2 (https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/subtitle-B/chapter-VIII/part-830/subpart-A/section-830.2), CICTT occurrence categories (PDF) (https://www.ntsb.gov/safety/data/Documents/datafiles/OccurrenceCategoryDefinitions.pdf), CICTT phases of flight (PDF) (https://www.ntsb.gov/safety/data/Documents/datafiles/PhaseofFlightDefinitions.pdf), and NTSB coding manual, before 2008 (PDF) (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). NTSB publishes no definitions for its findings, only their names. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.