# NTSB ANC04LA031: Cessna 182M, N71886, Yakutat, AK, February 9, 2004 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: February 9, 2004, 18:45 local (22:45 UTC) - Place: Yakutat, AK - Coordinates: 59.508335, -139.661666 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=59.5083&lon=-139.6617&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Initial climb](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/350) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report July 29, 2004 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Alaska Regional Office - Parties: FAA-AL-JNU FSDO 05 - NTSB case key (mKey): 58724 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ANC04LA031 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/58724/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC04LA031 ## Probable cause The pilot's delayed use of carburetor heat, which resulted in an engine power loss during takeoff-initial climb, a forced landing, and subsequent collision with terrain. A factor contributing to the accident was the presence of carburetor icing conditions. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Loss of engine power(partial) - nonmechanical, takeoff - initial climb - carburetor heat - delayed, pilot in command (cause) - weather condition - carburetor icing conditions (contributing factor) - Forced landing, emergency landing after takeoff - In flight collision with terrain/water, emergency landing after takeoff - terrain condition - ditch ## Analysis The airline transport certificated pilot stopped for fuel on a night cross-country flight. After fueling, the pilot said he drained the fuel system sumps and found no contaminants. He performed an engine run-up, and then departed. After takeoff, about 400 feet above the ground, the engine began to run rough and slowly lose power. The pilot switched fuel tanks and applied carburetor heat, but engine power continued to decline, and the airplane lost altitude. He made a 180 degree left turn toward the airport and made an emergency, off-airport landing, during which the airplane collided with a ditch. The airplane received structural damage to the left wing, fuselage, and landing gear. A postaccident examination of the airplane's engine revealed that the spark plugs were sooted, and no other mechanical malfunction was found. At the time of accident, the temperature was 37 degrees F (+3 degrees C), and the dew point was 31 degrees F (-1 degree C). FAA Advisory Circular (AC) 61-23C, states, in part: "... if the temperature is between -7 degrees C and 21 degrees, with visible moisture or high humidity, the pilot should be constantly on the alert for carburetor ice. During low or closed throttle setting, an engine is particularly susceptible to carburetor icing. AC 20-113, states, in part: "Vaporization icing may occur at temperatures from 32 degrees F to as high as 100 degrees F with a relative humidity of 50 percent or above... Since aviation weather reports normally include air temperature and dew point temperature, it is possible to relate the temperature/dew point spread to relative humidity. As the spread becomes less, relative humidity increases and becomes 100 percent when temperature and dew point are the same. In general, when the temperature/dew point spread reaches 20 degrees or less, you have a relative humidity of 50 percent or higher and are in potential icing conditions." The airplane was equipped with a carburetor air temperature gauge that was marked with a yellow arc between -15 degrees to +5 degrees celsius. The yellow arc indicates the carburetor temperature range where carburetor icing can occur. ## Factual narrative On February 9, 2004, about 1845 Alaska standard time, a wheel-equipped Cessna 182M airplane, N71886, sustained substantial damage when it collided with a ditch during a forced landing shortly after takeoff from the Yakutat Airport, Yakutat, Alaska. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) cross-country business flight under Title 14, CFR Part 91, when the accident occurred. The airplane was operated by the pilot. The airline transport certificated pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed. No flight plan was filed, nor was one required. During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC), on February 10, the pilot reported that he stopped in Yakutat for fuel on his cross-country flight to Anchorage, Alaska. After fueling, the pilot said he drained the fuel system sumps and found no contaminants. He performed an engine run-up, and then departed on runway 29. After takeoff, about 400 feet above the ground, the pilot indicated that the engine began to run rough and slowly lose power. He switched fuel tanks and applied carburetor heat, but the engine power continued to decline, and the airplane lost altitude. The pilot made a 180 degree left turn toward the airport and made an emergency, off-airport landing, during which the airplane collided with a ditch. The airplane came to rest about 1,000 feet beyond the departure end of runway 29, and received structural damage to the left wing and fuselage. The left main landing gear was also torn off the airplane. On February 13, a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) aviation safety inspector from the Juneau, Alaska, Flight Standard District Office (FSDO), examined the airplane in Yakutat after it was retrieved from the ditch. His examination revealed that the fuel, air intake, exhaust, and ignition systems were intact at the time of the accident. The fuel tanks, gascolator, and carburetor bowl contained fuel that was free of contaminants. The spark plugs were sooted. At 1853, an Aviation Routine Weather Report (METAR) from Yakutat was reporting, in part: Wind, 070 degrees at 7 knots; visibility, 10 statute miles; clouds and sky condition, 11,000 feet overcast; temperature, 37 degrees F (+3 degrees celsius); dew point, 31 degrees F (-1 degree celsius); altimeter, 30.16 inHg. The FAA's Advisory Circular (AC) 61-23C, Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge, Chapter 2, Carburetor Icing, states, in part: "... if the temperature is between -7 degrees C (20 degrees F) and 21 degrees C (70 degrees F), with visible moisture or high humidity, the pilot should be constantly on the alert for carburetor ice. During low or closed throttle setting, an engine is particularly susceptible to carburetor icing. For airplanes with fixed-pitch propellers, the first indication of carburetor icing is loss of RPM. For airplanes with controllable pitch (constant-speed) propellers, the first indication is usually a drop in manifold pressure. In both cases, a roughness in engine operation may develop later." The FAA's AC 20-113, Pilot Precautions and Procedures to be Taken in Preventing Aircraft Reciprocating Engine Induction System and Fuel System Icing Problems, states, in part: "Vaporization icing may occur at temperatures from 32 degrees F to as high as 100 degrees F with a relative humidity of 50 percent or above... Since aviation weather reports normally include air temperature and dew point temperature, it is possible to relate the temperature/dew point spread to relative humidity. As the spread becomes less, relative humidity increases and becomes 100 percent when temperature and dew point are the same. In general, when the temperature/dew point spread reaches 20 degrees or less, you have a relative humidity of 50 percent or higher and are in potential icing conditions." According to the FAA inspector who examined the airplane, it was equipped with a carburetor air temperature gauge. The airplane's Owner's Manual, Optional Systems, Carburetor Air Temperature Gage, states, in part: "A carburetor air temperature gage may be installed in the airplane to help detect carburetor icing conditions. The gage is marked with a yellow arc between -15 degrees to +5 degrees celsius. The yellow arc indicates the carburetor temperature range where carburetor icing can occur..." ## Aircraft - Registration: [N71886](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N71886-2013-11-12), registration cancelled 2013-11-12, S/N 18259793, built 1969 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Cessna 182M - Registry model: [Cessna 182M](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-182m) (registry code 2072728) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Continental O-470 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-o-470-series) (registry code 17026, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 18259793 - Engines: Continental O-470-R 230 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Business, Part 91 - Operator: Robert J. Edison - Registered owner: Glen A. Jorgensen - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Departed: PAYA, Yakutat, AK - Destination: PAMR, Anchorage, AK - Airport: PAYA, Yakutat ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 57; injuries: none; flight instructor, commercial, airline transport; airplane ratings: single-engine sea, single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 2, valid medical--no waivers/lim.; last flight review January 31, 2004; seat: left; flight hours: 10,000 total, 100 in this make and model, 9,850 as pilot in command, 60 in the last 90 days, 40 in the last 30 days, 12 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Night/dark - Wind: 70° at 7 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 11,000 ft overcast - Temperature: 37 °F, dew point 30 °F - Altimeter: 30.15 inHg - Observed at: PAYA ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20040209003249A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20040209003249A), Feb 9, 2004: Cessna 182M, Yakutat, AK, Substantial damage. (-23) After refueling in Yakutat, pilot took off for anchorage. At about 4-500 feet the engine began to gradually lose power. Pilot switched fuel tanks and… ## Other investigations on N71886 (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB CHI70F0362](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI70F0362), Dec 12, 1969: Cessna 182M (N71886), New Albany, IN, substantial damage From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- 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.