- Date
- June 18, 1988, 17:00 local (21:00 UTC)
- Place
- Capon Bridge, WV
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N1841EAeronca 7AC
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 25, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 11418
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
Loss of power because of carburetor ice which obstructed airflow to the engine. The aircraft nosed over on landing because of soft terrain and high grass. The pilot's failure to use carburetor heat is a contributing factor.
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 said he was cruising at 3000 ft when he reduced pwr to start a descent to 2000 ft. after pwr was reduced from 2350 to 1800 RPM, a total pwr loss occurred. Attempts to restart the engine were unsuccessful. The plt said he did not use carb heat, although, he said, later that he suspected carb ice. The pilot made a forced landing into an open field. The plt said because of the soft terrain and high grass, the acft nosed over during the landing roll. The temp/ dew pt was 82/54 degs. Post accident engine test disclosed it operated satisfactory at various power settings. Weather conditions were conducive to the formation of carburetor ice.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1841E
- Reported as
- Aeronca 7AC
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 7AC-5408
- Airframe hours
- 3,284
- Engine
- Continental A75-8A, 75 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Aeronica Flying Club
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 13, 1987 · 61 hours before
- Departed
- W16 · Winchester, VA
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
- 45
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 670 total · 200 in this make and model · 620 as pilot in command · 20 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 50° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 12 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MRB, 25 nm away