- Date
- May 31, 1985, 11:31 local (15:31 UTC)
- Place
- Columbia, SC
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N5221FCessna 172
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19850531021989A
- Case key
- 6804
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The plt reported that during a descent to 2100 ft, intermediate level offs were made at 5000, 4000, & 3000 ft. he stated that at 2200 ft, carb heat was removed & power was applied for the level off. However, when the throttle was advanced, the eng began running rough & would not sustain level flt. The plt stated that all combinations of power & carb heat were tried, but provided no change. The power loss occurred over a dense forest, so the plt elected to make a forced landing in a lake. The acft sank in 14 ft of water. It was recovered, but no preimpact part failure or malfunction was verified. The carb heat cable was loose, but there was impact damage in that area. The temp & dew point were 74 & 68 degs respectively. According to icing probability charts, carb icing would have been possible if the carb heat had not been used or had not functioned.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5221F
- Reported as
- Cessna 172
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 172-53254
- Airframe hours
- 6,000
- Engine
- Continental O-300-D, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Registered owner
- U.S.A.F. Langely Aero Club
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- Hampton, VA
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- CAE · Columbia Metro
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
- 31
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 2,242 total · 83 in this make and model · 70 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 250° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 4 statute miles
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 68 °F
- Observed at
- CAE, 5 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.