- Date
- September 29, 2010, 13:00 local (19:00 UTC)
- Place
- Deming, NM
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N9431BCessna 175
- Defining event
- Initial climb: Loss of engine power (total)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 15, 2012
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- Case key
- 77885
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 loss of engine power for undetermined reasons.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot departed from a private airfield in order to ferry the airplane to an airport where maintenance facilities were located. During the initial climb, the engine lost power, and the pilot elected to land on the remaining runway. The airplane landed hard. A reason for the loss of engine power was not found during a postaccident examination of the airplane. A review of the carburetor icing probability chart in the Federal Aviation Administration's Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin CE-09-35 revealed that the airplane was not operating in conditions favorable for the formation of carburetor icing.
Factual narrative
On September 29, 2010, about 1300 central daylight time, a Cessna 175, N9431B, experienced a loss of engine power shortly after takeoff from a private airfield near Deming, New Mexico. The commercial rated pilot, the sole occupant, received serious injuries. The airplane was substantially damaged during the accident. The aircraft was registered to and operated by a private individual under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight, which operated without a flight plan. In order to conduct maintenance on the aircraft at his facilities, the mechanic/commercial pilot planned to ferry the airplane from the private airstrip. However, just after takeoff, the engine lost power and the pilot elected to conduct a forced landing on the remaining runway. During the forced landing the airplane experienced a hard landing. The airplane sustained structural damage to the engine firewall. A visual examination of the engine and airframe by the responding Federal Aviation Administration inspector, failed to reveal any preimpact abnormalities. A review of the carburetor icing probability chart, located in the FAA's Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin CE-09-35, dated 6/30/2009, revealed that the airplane was not operating in an area favorable for the formation of carburetor icing.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9431B
- Reported as
- Cessna 175
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 55231
- Engine
- Cont Motor O-470, 230 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Ferry · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- NA · Deming, NM
- Destination
- NM70 · Rodeo, NM
- Airport
- NA · Private, runway 27, 3,500 × 50 ft, dirt
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
- 58
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 25, 2009
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 10,000 total · 75 in this make and model · 10,000 as pilot in command · 30 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 91 °F, dew point 32 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.97 inHg
- Observed at
- KDMN
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 10, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 751 KB in all.
Other investigations on N9431B · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.