# NTSB CEN16LA299: Engineering & Research 415 C, N99307, Mt Morris, IL, July 16, 2016 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: July 16, 2016, 16:45 local (21:45 UTC) - Place: Mt Morris, IL - Coordinates: 42.036666, -89.392776 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=42.0367&lon=-89.3928&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Landing-flare/touchdown: Abnormal runway contact](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/090) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report January 18, 2017 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Central Region - Parties: FAA DuPage FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 93739 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN16LA299 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/93739/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=93739 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN16LA299 ## Probable cause The pilot's loss of airplane control during a forced landing in gusting crosswind conditions and the airplane’s subsequent bounce on the runway following a loss of engine power. Contributing to the accident was the loss of engine power due to carburetor icing. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Use of equip/info: aircraft control](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040): Personnel issues › Task performance · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Engineering & Research 415-C, 3 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/cases.md?model=0420302), [All aircraft, 9,295 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/cases.md) - [Performance/control parameters](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062000): Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintained (probable cause); cases with it: [Engineering & Research 415-C, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062000/cases.md?model=0420302), [All aircraft, 1,269 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062000/cases.md) - [Wind: crosswind](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03034040): Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena · Effect on operation (probable cause); cases with it: [Engineering & Research 415-C, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03034040/cases.md?model=0420302), [All aircraft, 1,008 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03034040/cases.md) - [Wind: gusts](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03034045): Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena · Effect on operation (probable cause); cases with it: [Engineering & Research 415-C, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03034045/cases.md?model=0420302), [All aircraft, 1,199 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03034045/cases.md) - [Temp/humidity/pressure: conducive to carburetor icing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03031030): Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena · Effect on operation (probable cause); cases with it: [Engineering & Research 415-C, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03031030/cases.md?model=0420302), [All aircraft, 435 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03031030/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Approach: Other weather encounter](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/400); cases with it: [Engineering & Research 415-C, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/400/sequence.md?model=0420302), [All aircraft, 1,127 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/400/sequence.md) - [Approach: Loss of engine power (partial)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/342); cases with it: [Engineering & Research 415-C, 4 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/342/sequence.md?model=0420302), [All aircraft, 1,858 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/342/sequence.md) - [Landing-flare/touchdown: Abnormal runway contact](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/090) (defining event); cases with it: [Engineering & Research 415-C, 2 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/090/sequence.md?model=0420302), [All aircraft, 1,506 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/090/sequence.md) ## Analysis The private pilot was conducting a local personal flight, which was the airplane's first flight following its annual inspection. The pilot reported that, while on the downwind leg, he reduced power for landing and that the engine then lost power. During the subsequent forced landing, the airplane encountered a crosswind gust and then bounced twice, which caused substantial firewall damage. An examination of the carburetor revealed no anomalies. The weather conditions at the time of the accident were conducive to the accumulation of serious carburetor icing at descent power settings. It is likely that the engine power lost power due to carburetor icing. ## Factual narrative On July 16, 2016, about 1645 central daylight time, an Engineering & Research 415 C airplane, N99307, impacted terrain during a forced landing on runway 9 at the Ogle County Airport (C55), near Mount Morris, Illinois, following an inflight loss of engine power. The pilot was uninjured. The airplane sustained substantial damage. The airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot as a 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed in the area about the time of the accident, and the flight was not operated on a flight plan. The local flight originated from C55 about 1640.According to the pilot, this was the airplane's first flight following its annual inspection. The airplane departed from runway 27. On downwind the pilot reduced power for landing and the engine lost power. The pilot stated that he turned to land on runway 9. During the forced landing, the airplane encountered a crosswind gust and the airplane sustained the substantial firewall damage when it bounced twice on the runway. At 1554, the recorded weather at the Chicago/Rockford International Airport (RFD), near Rockford, Illinois, was: wind 140 at 8 knots; visibility 10 statute miles; sky condition scattered clouds at 5,000, broken clouds at 25,000 feet; temperature 26 degrees C; dew point 13 degrees C; altimeter 30.11 inches of mercury. The pilot indicated in his accident report that that there was a carburetor mechanical malfunction. A Federal Aviation Administration inspector had the carburetor examined by a mechanic. No carburetor anomalies were detected. However, the inspector plotted RFD's temperature and dew point at the time of the accident on a carburetor icing probability chart. The plot showed a probability of serious icing at descent power settings. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N99307](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N99307), registered now, S/N 1930, built 1946 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: ENGINEERING & RESEARCH 415 C - Registry model: [Engineering & Research 415-C](https://openairdocs.org/model/engineering-research-415-c) (registry code 0420302) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Continental A&C75 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-a-c75-series) (registry code 17005, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 1930 - Year built: 1946 - Airframe hours: 2368.3 - Engines: CONT MOTOR C85 12F 75 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, June 21, 2016 - Departed: C55, Mt Morris, IL - Destination: C55, Mt Morris, IL - Airport: C55, Ogle County, runway 09, 2,640 × 200 ft, grass/turf ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 76; injuries: none; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; medical: sport pilot, with waivers/limitations; last flight review June 23, 2016; seat: left; restraint: lap only; flight hours: 985 total, 614.9 in this make and model, 890 as pilot in command, 1.2 in the last 90 days, 1.2 in the last 30 days ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 140° at 8 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 25,000 ft broken - Temperature: 79 °F, dew point 55 °F - Altimeter: 30.11 inHg - Observed at: KRFD, 16 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 (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20160716011159A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20160716011159A), Jul 16, 2016: Engineering & Research 415-C, Mt. Morris, IL, Substantial damage. Pilot stated this was the first flight following the annual inspection. The pilot stated that he did a thorough run - up and magneto check prior to departure.… ## Docket (4 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 1, 2016, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=93739. 5.3 MB in all. - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 5.0 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40446854&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Master.PDF - Weather Reports and Records (item 2, .PDF, 17 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40446855&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Weather%20Reports%20and%20Records-Master.PDF - Memorandum for Record - Communication Summary - Insp. S. Cull (item 3, .PDF, 38 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40446856&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Memorandum%20for%20Record%20-%20Communication%20Summary%20-%20Insp.%20S.%20Cull-Master.PDF - Weather - Icing Chart Supplied by the FAA (item 4, .PDF, 292 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40446857&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Weather%20-%20Icing%20Chart%20Supplied%20by%20the%20FAA-Master.PDF From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.