# NTSB ATL01LA020: Piper PA-18-A-150, N6971D, Sun City, FL, January 15, 2001 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: January 15, 2001, 16:04 local (21:04 UTC) - Place: Sun City, FL - Location: 27.6671° N, 82.5372° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs from NTSB’s distance and direction from MANATEE (48X), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=27.6671&lon=-82.5372&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Initial climb](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/350) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 2 uninjured - Status: Completed, report July 30, 2001 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: TAMPA-FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 50932 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ATL01LA020 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/50932/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ATL01LA020 ## Probable cause THE LOSS OF ENGINE POWER FOR UNDETERMINED REASONS, A FACTOR WAS WEATHER CONDITIONS FAVORABLE FOR CARBURETOR ICING ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Loss of engine power, takeoff - initial climb - reason for occurrence undetermined (cause) - weather condition - carburetor icing conditions (contributing factor) - carburetor heat - used (contributing factor) - Forced landing, climb - emergency procedure - performed, pilot in command (cause) - altitude - low (cause) - In flight collision with terrain/water, emergency descent/landing - precautionary landing - initiated, pilot in command (cause) - terrain condition - swampy (cause) ## Analysis After takeoff, during the climb, the engine lost power and quit. Efforts by the pilot to restore full power failed, and he selected an off-airport emergency landing area. Examination of the airplane disclosed an undetermined amount of fuel onboard. The engine ran normally during examination. A review of weather data disclosed weather conditions favorable for carburetor icing . No evidence of mechanical engine failure was found. ## Factual narrative On January 15, 2001, at 1604 eastern standard time, a Piper PA-18, N6971D, collided with the ground during an attempted forced landing following a total loss of engine power near Manatee County Airport near Sun City, Florida. The personal flight operated under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91 with no flight plan filed. Visual weather conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The airplane sustained substantial damage. The commercial pilot and his passenger were not injured. The local flight originally departed St Petersburg Airport in St. Petersburg, Florida, at 1530 hours. According to the pilot, he and his passenger had flown to Manatee Airport where they had completed several landings. After takeoff, as the airplane climbed through 500 feet, the pilot reported that the engine lost power and started "missing". He changed fuel tanks and applied carburetor. heat and selected an off-airport emergency landing area. The engine quit shortly before the airplane collided with the ground as the pilot maneuvered for the forced landing 1.7 miles north of the Manatee Airport. Examination of the airplane revealed an undetermined amount of fuel. During the functional examination of the engine, it operated normally throughout all power ranges. The pilot did not report any mechanical problems with the airplane. According to the Carburetor-Icing Probability Chart, weather conditions were favorable for carburetor icing. No evidence of mechanical engine failure was found. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N6971D](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N6971D), registered now, S/N 18-5497 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Piper PA-18-A-150 - Registry model: [Piper PA-18A 150](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-18a-150) (registry code 7101837) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming O-360-C2A](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-o-360-c2a) (registry code 42285, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 18-5497 - Airframe hours: 8038 - Engines: Lycoming O-320 180 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, December 1, 2000, 25 hours before - Departed: 48X, MANATEE, FL - Destination: SPG, ST. PETERSBURG, FL - Airport: 48X, Manatee County Airport, runway 07, 3,685 × 100 ft, grass/turf ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 58; injuries: none; commercial; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 2, without waivers/limitations; last flight review October 1, 2000; seat: rear; flight hours: 7,000 total, 100 in this make and model, 50 in the last 90 days, 15 in the last 30 days, 4 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 270° at 6 knots - Visibility: 9 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 66 °F, dew point 61 °F - Altimeter: 30.09 inHg - Observed at: SRQ, 2 nm away ## 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 20010115002209A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20010115002209A), Jan 15, 2001: Piper PA18A150, Palmetto, FL, Substantial damage. (-23) On January 15, 2001, at 1605 localtime,a Piper 18A, N69710, registered to skyway aircraft, crashed into mangroves in tampa bay approximately 1.5 miles… 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.