# NTSB ANC25LA025: Cessna 172A, N7274T, Fairbanks, AK, March 16, 2025 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Minor injuries · Class 3 · Limited · Final report - Date: March 16, 2025, 14:15 local (22:15 UTC) - Place: Fairbanks, AK - Coordinates: 64.786555, -147.89818 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=64.7866&lon=-147.8982&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Initial climb](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/350) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Initial climb: Powerplant sys/comp malf/fail](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/340) - Highest injury: Minor injuries - Injuries: 1 minor, 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report February 19, 2026 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Investigation class: Class 3 - NTSB office: Alaska Regional Office - Parties: FAA - FSDO - SAIBs cited in the narratives: [SAIB CE-09-35](https://openairdocs.org/saib/CE-09-35) (OpenAirDocs) - NTSB case key (mKey): 199877 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ANC25LA025 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/199877/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=199877 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC25LA025 ## 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 climb out. Contributing to the accident was maintenance personnel’s improper rigging of the carburetor heat control cable. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Info processing/decision: decision making/judgment](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041520): Personnel issues › Action/decision · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Cessna 172A, 4 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041520/cases.md?model=2072404), [All aircraft, 3,098 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041520/cases.md) - [Info processing/decision: identification/recognition](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041510): Personnel issues › Action/decision · Maintenance personnel (probable cause); cases with it: [Cessna 172A, 3 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041510/cases.md?model=2072404), [All aircraft, 559 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041510/cases.md) - [Engine fuel and control: fuel control/carburetor](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01057322): Aircraft › Aircraft power plant · Incorrect service/maintenance (probable cause); cases with it: [Cessna 172A, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01057322/cases.md?model=2072404), [All aircraft, 195 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01057322/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Initial climb: Powerplant sys/comp malf/fail](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/340) (defining event); cases with it: [Cessna 172A, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/340/sequence.md?model=2072404), [All aircraft, 820 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/340/sequence.md) - [Initial climb: Fuel related](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/190); cases with it: [Cessna 172A, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/190/sequence.md?model=2072404), [All aircraft, 361 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/190/sequence.md) ## Analysis The pilot, who was also the owner of the airplane, was conducting a familiarization flight with the pilot-rated passenger, who was a prospective buyer of the airplane. The pilot reported having flown the airplane for a total of 35 hours after the engine had been removed, disassembled, and reinstalled just over 3 years before the accident; however, the airframe and engine logbooks show no hours accrued since the engine reinstallation. The pilot reported that, during engine run-up, the engine speed did not decrease when he pulled the carburetor heat knob. He stated that, after he shut down the engine, he “had the pilot actuate the carb heat push/pull knob several times while I observed and felt the mechanism on the air box move in a way that seemed normal.” The pilot then elected to continue the flight. During the initial climb out, the pilot pulled the carburetor heat knob to recheck the functionality of the carburetor heat and immediately experienced a large drop in engine speed. He kept the carburetor heat on, “expecting it to clear quickly if it was ice, as it has always done in the past.” After observing that power was not being restored, he turned back toward the airport. The engine continued to run at low power; however, the airplane was unable to maintain altitude and the pilot elected to land on a frozen river south of the airport. During the landing, the airplane nosed over, which resulted in substantial damage to the wings. Postaccident examination of the engine revealed that the carburetor heat cable was too long, had a visible kink where it attached to the heat control mechanism, and did not properly engage the heat control mechanism in either the fully open or closed position. Due to the excessive length of the carburetor heat control cable, the carburetor heat was always partially on, and this condition could not be changed when actuated by the control knob in the cockpit. The excessive cable length most likely occurred due to inadvertent repositioning of the clamp attaching the carburetor heat control cable sheath to the carburetor airbox during a previous engine removal and reinstall about three and a half years before the accident flight. The environmental conditions at the time of the accident were not conducive to the accumulation of carburetor icing. The carburetor heat control cable’s excessive length and incorrect positioning likely prevented the proper operation of the carburetor heat, resulting in a partial application of carburetor heat and partial loss of engine power during climb out. ## Factual narrative On March 16, 2025, about 1415 Alaska daylight time, a Cessna 172A airplane, N7274T, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Fairbanks, Alaska. The pilot reported minor injuries, and the pilot-rated passenger was uninjured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The pilot, who was also the owner of the airplane, was conducting a familiarization flight with the pilot-rated passenger, who was a prospective buyer of the airplane. The pilot reported that, during engine run-up, the engine speed did not decrease when he pulled the carburetor heat knob. He stated that, after he shut down the engine, he “had the pilot actuate the carb heat push/pull knob several times while I observed and felt the mechanism on the air box move in a way that seemed normal.” The pilot then elected to continue the flight. During the initial climb out, the pilot pulled the carburetor heat knob to recheck the functionality of the carburetor heat and immediately experienced a large decrease in engine speed. He kept the carburetor heat on, “expecting it to clear quickly if it was ice, as it has always done in the past.” After observing that power was not restored, he turned back towards the airport. The engine continued to run at low power; however, the airplane was unable to maintain altitude and the pilot elected to land on a frozen river south of the airport. During the landing, the airplane nosed over, which resulted in substantial damage to the wings. Postaccident examination of the engine revealed that the carburetor heat cable did not provide the required travel to properly engage the carburetor heat control mechanism in either the fully open or closed position. Additionally, the carburetor heat was found to be difficult to operate from the cockpit of the airplane, requiring an excessive amount of force to move the control mechanism in either direction. The result was that the carburetor heat was always partially on, and this condition could not be changed when actuated by the control knob in the cockpit. A visible kink in the carburetor heat control cable was observed where it attached to the carburetor heat control mechanism. The clamp that attached the carburetor heat control cable sheath to the carburetor airbox appeared to be installed in the wrong position, about 180° from the position indicated in the Cessna 172 & 175 Parts Catalog (1956-1962). Review of the airplane’s maintenance logs indicated that no flight hours had been logged since 2021. The pilot reported having flown the airplane for a total of 35 hours after the engine had been removed, disassembled, and reinstalled just over 3 years before the accident; however, the airframe and engine logbooks show no hours accrued since the engine reinstallation. In November 2021, the engine had been removed, disassembled, and reinstalled “due to [the] engine running without oil.” The temperature at the time of the accident was -12°C(10°F) with a dewpoint of 18°C (0°F). A review of the carburetor icing probability chart in FAA Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin CE-09-35 indicated that the conditions at the time of the accident were not conducive to the accumulation of carburetor icing. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N7274T](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N7274T), registered now, S/N 46874, built 1959 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: CESSNA 172A - Registry model: [Cessna 172A](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172a) (registry code 2072404) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Continental 0-300 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-0-300-series) (registry code 17022, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 46874 - Year built: 1959 - Airframe hours: 3502.7 - Engines: Continental O-300-C 145 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, June 7, 2024, 30 hours before - Departed: FAI, Fairbanks, AK - Destination: FAI, Fairbanks, AK - Airport: FAI, Fairbanks International, runway 2R, 4,510 × 75 ft, asphalt - Equipment: Stall warning system ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 54; injuries: minor; commercial, flight instructor; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, with waivers/limitations; last flight review December 11, 2024; seat: right; restraint: 4-point; flight hours: 8,367 total, 1,500 in this make and model, 8,266 as pilot in command, 153 in the last 90 days, 89 in the last 30 days - Pilot-rated passenger; injuries: none; private; seat: left; restraint: 4-point; flight hours: 62 total ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 160° at 4 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 10,000 ft broken - Temperature: 10 °F, dew point -0 °F - Altimeter: 29.70 inHg - Observed at: PAFA, 1 nm away - METAR: PAFA 162153Z 16004KT 10SM FEW040 SCT055 BKN100 M12/M18 A2970 RMK AO2 SLP070 T11171178 ## 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 20250316003309A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20250316003309A), Mar 16, 2025: Cessna 172A, Fairbanks, AK, Substantial damage. During climb-out, the aircraft’s engine experienced a significant drop in RPM. The pilot engaged engine carburator heat, however engine RPM could not be… ## Docket (7 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on February 19, 2026, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=199877. 31.4 MB in all. - Pilot/operator aircraft accident report, NTSB form 6120.1 (item 1, PDF, 12 pages, 2.3 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=18560767&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=ANC25LA025%206120%20V2_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Pilot's statement (item 2, PDF, 2 pages, 75 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=19580235&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=ANC25LA025%20Pilot%20Statement-Rel.pdf - Carburetor icing probability graph (item 3, PDF, 1 page, 102 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=18560787&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=ANC25LA025%20Carburetor%20Icing%20Probability%20Chart-Rel.pdf - FAA inspector's statement (item 4, PDF, 4 pages, 496 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=18559992&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=ANC25LA025%20FAA%20MOR-Rel.pdf - Maintenance records (item 5, PDF, 12 pages, 27.4 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=18652269&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=ANC25LA025%20Logs%20V2_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Clamp positioning diagram (item 6, PDF, 1 page, 191 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=18780031&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Bracket%20Positioning-Rel.pdf - Photos (item 7, PDF, 5 pages, 840 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=18560922&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=ANC25LA025%20Photos-Rel.pdf 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.