- Date
- July 26, 2011, 16:00 local (20:00 UTC)
- Place
- Harbor Beach, MI
- NTSB coordinates
- 43.8494, -82.3067 (estimated), outside the stated state
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N3050XCessna 150F
- Defining event
- Enroute-cruise: Loss of engine power (partial)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 20, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA-DTW-FSDO
- FAA report
- 20110726019769A
- Case key
- 81248
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 delay in using carburetor heat while operating in carburetor icing conditions, resulting in carburetor ice and subsequent partial loss of engine power.
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 stated that he was flying over water at an altitude of 3,000 feet mean sea level when the engine began to lose power. He contacted flight watch and informed them of the situation. His efforts to restart the engine by applying carburetor heat and full mixture were unsuccessul. He said that engine power was regained just prior to ditching the airplane. He exited the airplane which sank soon after contacting the water. The pilot was rescued 18 hours later. A review of the Federal Aviation Administration Carburetor Icing chart revealed the conditions were conducive to serious carburetor icing at glide power. The pilot reported he did not recognize the symptoms of carburetor ice and that he should have applied the carburetor heat sooner.
Factual narrative
The pilot stated that while crossing Lake Huron at an altitude of 3,000 feet, the engine began to lose power. The pilot contacted flight watch and informed them of the situation. He moved the fuel selector handle and enriched the fuel mixture to no avail. The pilot stated he applied carburetor heat, moved the throttle, and fuel selector switch again, but by this time he was about 100 feet above the water and 15 to 17 miles off shore. He contacted flight watch again to provide a position update and to tell them he was ditching in the lake. The pilot stated that engine power was regained just prior to the airplane contacting the water; however, by that time he was unable to avoid the ditching. The pilot exited the airplane which sank soon after contacting the water. The pilot was able to tread water for approximately 18 hours prior to be picked up by a pleasure boat. The pilot was hospitalized for several days following the accident. The airplane remains at the bottom of Lake Huron in about 210 feet of water. The outside air temperature was 73 degrees Fahrenheit and the dew point was 57 degrees Fahrenheit. According to the FAA Icing Probability Chart, these conditions were conducive for serious icing at glide power. The pilot reported he did not recognize the symptoms of carburetor ice and that he should have applied the carburetor heat sooner.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3050X
- Reported as
- Cessna 150F
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15064450
- Airframe hours
- 3,801
- Engine
- Cont Motor O-200, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Trapp Michael W
- Registered owner
- Trapp Michael W
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 9, 2011
- Departed
- K16 · Gouverneur, NY
- Destination
- BAX · Bad Axe, MI
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
- 42
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- February 20, 2011
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 140 total · 100 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 100° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 5,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.87 inHg
- Observed at
- BAX, 17 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 7, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 834 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.