- Date
- May 17, 2015, 14:50 local (20:50 UTC)
- Place
- Durango, CO
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N1924ZCessna 150C
- Defining event
- Enroute-descent: Loss of engine power (total)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 9, 2015
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA Salt Lake City FSDO
- FAA report
- 20150517006729A
- Case key
- 91198
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 total loss of engine power due to carburetor icing.
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 reported that he was on a local flight in mountainous terrain. While returning to the airport he began a descent by reducing power to about 60 percent, which resulted in a complete loss of engine power. The pilot applied full carburetor heat and full throttle and the engine regained power. He continued a shallow descent with full throttle and carburetor heat for about another 5 minutes. He closed the carburetor heat and continued the descent at 75 percent engine power. Within less than a minute, the engine lost complete power again. The pilot applied carburetor heat and full throttle, along with mixture adjustments and pumping the throttle, but the engine did not restart. He attempted a forced landing to a local highway. During the final approach, he avoided power lines by flying under them, but he was unable to flare the airplane before touchdown. The nose strut assembly sheared off during the landing and the right wing struck an embankment which resulted in substantial damage. The weather conditions at the time of the accident were conducive to serious carburetor icing during a descent.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that he was on a local flight in mountainous terrain. While returning to the airport he began a descent by reducing power to about 60 percent, which resulted in a complete loss of engine power. The pilot applied full carburetor heat and full throttle and the engine regained power. He continued a shallow descent with full throttle and carburetor heat for about another 5 minutes. He closed the carburetor heat and continued the descent at 75 percent engine power. Within less than a minute, the engine lost complete power again. The pilot applied carburetor heat and full throttle, along with mixture adjustments and pumping the throttle, but the engine did not restart. He attempted a forced landing to a local highway. During the final approach, he avoided power lines by flying under them, but he was unable to flare the airplane before touchdown. The nose strut assembly sheared off during the landing and the right wing struck an embankment which resulted in substantial damage. The weather conditions at the time of the accident were conducive to serious carburetor icing during a descent.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1924Z
- Reported as
- Cessna 150C (C)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15059724
- Built
- 1962
- Airframe hours
- 6,301
- Engine
- Cont Motor 0-200, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Barnes Daudi M
- Registered owner
- Barnes Daudi M
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 1, 2014
- Departed
- OOC · Durango, CO
- Destination
- OOC · Durango, CO
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
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3
- Last flight review
- July 5, 2014
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 341 total · 231 in this make and model · 13 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 220° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 9 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 7,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 57 °F, dew point 39 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.12 inHg
- Observed at
- DRO, 12 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 28, 2015, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.7 MB 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.