- Date
- April 29, 2014, 21:50 local (Apr 30, 2014, 00:50 UTC)
- Place
- Cooper Landing, AK
- Injuries
- 4 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N3024FCessna 182J
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-low-alt flying: Loss of engine power (partial)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 30, 2014
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- FAA Anchorage FSDO
- FAA report
- 20140429005789A
- Case key
- 89140
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to correctly use carburetor heat, resulting in a loss of engine power and collision with terrain.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot stated that he was flying down a glacier for an extended period of time at a low power setting without the carburetor heat on. Near the toe of the glacier, he attempted to add power to level the airplane, but the engine did not respond. He stated that their altitude was low and he landed on the glacier moraine, and the airplane nosed over, sustaining substantial damage to the wings and fuselage. The pilot stated that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. Based on the temperature and dew point at the time of the accident, the conditions were favorable for serious carburetor icing at descent power.
Factual narrative
The pilot stated that he was flying down a glacier for an extended period of time at a low power setting without the carburetor heat on. Near the toe of the glacier, he attempted to add power to level the airplane, but the engine did not respond. He stated that their altitude was low and he landed on the glacier moraine, and the airplane nosed over, sustaining substantial damage to the wings and fuselage. The pilot stated that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. Based on the temperature and dew point at the time of the accident, the conditions were favorable for serious carburetor icing at descent power. The pilot did not complete and submit NTSB Form 6120.1.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3024F
- Reported as
- Cessna 182J
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18257124
- Built
- 1966
- Engines
- Cont Motor O-470 SERIES, reciprocatingCont Motor O-470 SERIES, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- Soldotna, AK
- Destination
- Soldotna, AK
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 37
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- Lap only
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 250° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 48 °F, dew point 30 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.23 inHg
- Observed at
- PASX, 29 nm away
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 18, 2014, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 53 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.