- Date
- January 11, 1992, 10:05 local (15:05 UTC)
- Place
- Millen, GA
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N5866RCessna 172G
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 13, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920111000409A
- Case key
- 8551
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 properly use carburetor heat during icing conditions which resulted in the formation of carburetor ice and subsequent loss of engine power.
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
While en route to savannah, Georgia at 5000 feet, the pilot reported a reduction in engine power. Reportedly, he changed the mixture setting and applied carburetor heat in an attempt to restore full power, but the engine power reduction continued to a point where powered flight was no longer possible. A forced landing was made to an open field. During the ground roll out, the airplane rolled through a fence, crossed a road, and flipped inverted after colliding with a second fence. The wreckage examination failed to disclose a mechanical failure or system malfunction. However, according to the icing probability curve, weather conditions near the accident site were favorable for the formation of carburetor ice.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5866R
- Reported as
- Cessna 172G
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17253535
- Airframe hours
- 3,717
- Engine
- Continental O-300D, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Georgia Flight Inc.
- Registered owner
- Georgia Flight Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 3, 1991 · 93 hours before
- Departed
- AHN · Athens, GA
- Destination
- SAV · Savannah, GA
- Flight plan
- IFR
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
- 40
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 242 total · 171 in this make and model · 158 as pilot in command · 22 in the last 90 days · 7 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 280° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 10,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 39 °F, dew point 28 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SAV, 40 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.