- Date
- March 29, 1989, 10:45 local (15:45 UTC)
- Place
- Danville, GA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N5368HPiper PA-16
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 11, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890329011119A
- Case key
- 8007
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 delayed in applying carburetor heat after the engine began to lose power, and his selection of unsuitable terrain for a precautionary-landing site.
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 the engine began to lose pwr (RPM) during cruise as if it was experiencing 'a bad case of carb ice'. The plt applied carb heat after the engine lost over 300 RPM. The engine continued to lose pwr and the plt elected to make a precautionary ldg in an open field. The field was uneven, and the plt found that he could not brake the airplane to a stop before colliding with a fence. Total elapsed time from the initial pwr loss to ldg was only 2 to 3 minutes, according to the plt. Exam of the engine revealed black, sooty deposits on the firing ends of the spark plugs. According to icing probability curves, conditions were favorable for the formation of moderate icing at cruise pwr. The airplane was stc'd to operate on autogas, and was fueled with a mix of 100LL avgas and auto gas.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5368H
- Reported as
- Piper PA-16
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 16-175
- Airframe hours
- 2,800
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-C1, 115 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Cleveland B. Cannon
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 1, 1988 · 70 hours before
- Departed
- MAC · Macon, GA
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
- 17
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 199 total · 41 in this make and model · 167 as pilot in command · 75 in the last 90 days · 41 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 140° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 12 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 63 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MCN, 21 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.