# NTSB CEN19LA061: Cessna 182, N3120S, Norwood, CO, December 23, 2018 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Class 3 · Limited · Final report - Date: December 23, 2018, 15:10 local (22:10 UTC) - Place: Norwood, CO - Coordinates: 38.165832, -108.305831 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=38.1658&lon=-108.3058&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Landing: Loss of engine power (partial)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/342) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed - Report: Approved by Office Director - Investigation class: Class 3 - NTSB office: Central Region - Parties: FAA Salt Lake City FSDO - SAIBs cited in the narratives: [SAIB CE-09-35](https://openairdocs.org/saib/CE-09-35) (OpenAirDocs) - NTSB case key (mKey): 98879 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN19LA061 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/98879/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=98879 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN19LA061 ## Probable cause The partial loss of engine power for undetermined reasons. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Not determined](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/05000000): Not determined › Not determined · Unknown/Not determined (probable cause); cases with it: [Cessna 182G, 3 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/05000000/cases.md?model=2072716), [All aircraft, 2,247 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/05000000/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Landing: Loss of engine power (partial)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/342) (defining event); cases with it: [Cessna 182G, 2 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/342/sequence.md?model=2072716), [All aircraft, 1,858 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/342/sequence.md) - [Landing: Attempted remediation/recovery](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/060); cases with it: [Cessna 182G, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/060/sequence.md?model=2072716), [All aircraft, 1,422 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/060/sequence.md) - [Landing: Collision during takeoff/land](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/490); cases with it: [Cessna 182G, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/490/sequence.md?model=2072716), [All aircraft, 1,309 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/490/sequence.md) ## Analysis The pilot was conducting a personal flight. During the flight, he monitored the carburetor temperature gauge and used full, partial, and no carburetor heat settings as appropriate. While landing at his private, high-elevation airport, he initially had partial carburetor heat selected but then turned it off as he typically did to preclude ingestion of unfiltered air into the engine while landing on a dirt runway. During the approach, the airplane drifted left of the runway, so the pilot decided to go around. He advanced the engine power slightly, but the engine did not respond. He then advanced the engine power to full, but the engine still did not respond. The pilot then conducted a steep right turn and applied right rudder to land the airplane on the runway and avoid trees. He was not certain if the airplane stalled, but the right wingtip contacted the ground, and the airplane "pancaked" on the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and both wings. After the accident, the pilot stated that he did not “adequately” clear the carburetor during the approach and that it was possible the carburetor had "iced up" during the descent. However, the temperature and dew point at the time of the accident put the airplane outside of conditions conducive for icing; therefore, it is unlikely that carburetor accumulated icing. Thus, the reason for the loss of engine power could not be determined based on the available evidence. ## Factual narrative On December 23, 2018, about 1510 mountain standard time, a Cessna 182G, N3120S, sustained substantial damage when it was involved in an accident near Norwood, Colorado. The private pilot sustained no injury. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The pilot reported he was flying his airplane south of Telluride, Colorado, over the San Juan mountain range which is in the San Juan National Forest. He said that the weather conditions at the time were clear visibility, cold temperatures, no visible moisture, and a few scattered clouds. While in a descent profile, he observed "backlit ice crystals" for a short period and noted no airframe icing. During the flight, he utilized full, partial, and no carburetor heat settings while monitoring the carburetor temperature gauge. He stated that the carburetor temperature gauge indicated normal range during operations with partial and full carburetor heat. The pilot decided to perform a straight in approach to his private airport, landing to the northeast. He initially had partial carburetor heat selected but turned the carburetor heat off as he typically did to preclude the ingestion of unfiltered air into his engine while landing on a dirt runway. During the approach the airplane drifted to the west so the pilot elected to go around. He advanced the engine power slightly but the engine did not respond. He then advanced the engine power to full with no response from the engine. The pilot then performed a steep right turn and applied right rudder to put the airplane down on the dry dirt runway and avoid trees. He was not certain if the airplane stalled, but the right-wing tip contacted the ground and the airplane "pancaked" on the runway which resulted in damage to the nose landing gear, the propeller, and wrinkles in the skins of both wings. Various propeller impact marks were made to the dirt prior to the final resting spot of the airplane on the runway. The pilot shut down the engine and egressed without further incident. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and both wings. The pilot reported that he did not clear the carburetor "adequately" during his straight in approach. He said it was possible that the carburetor had "iced up." Per the carburetor icing probability graph from the Federal Aviation Administration Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin CE-09-35 Carburetor Icing Prevention, the weather conditions at the time of the accident would have put the flight just outside of conditions conducive for icing at glide and cruise power settings. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N3120S](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N3120S-2020-03-06), registration cancelled 2020-03-06, S/N 18255620, built 1964 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Cessna 182 (G) - Registry model: [Cessna 182G](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-182g) (registry code 2072716) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Continental O-470 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-o-470-series) (registry code 17026, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 18255620 - Year built: 1964 - Airframe hours: 5878 - Engines: Continental O-470-R 230 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, November 22, 2018 - Departed: AIB, Nucla, CO - Destination: AIB, Nucla, CO - Airport: None, Private Airstrip, runway 05, 2,000 × 85 ft, dirt - Equipment: Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Handheld GPS ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 64; injuries: none; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; medical: class 3, without waivers/limitations; last flight review May 28, 2017; seat: left; restraint: 4-point; flight hours: 863 total, 813 in this make and model, 814 as pilot in command, 25 in the last 90 days, 1 in the last 30 days, 1 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: calm - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Temperature: 36 °F, dew point 16 °F - Altimeter: 30.22 inHg - Observed at: KTEX, 23 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 20181223021979A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20181223021979A), Dec 23, 2018: Cessna 182G, Norwood, CO, Substantial damage. During approach to the pilots private dirt strip the aircraft drifted off course, the pilot pushed the throttle in to add power but the engine didn't respond.… ## Docket (3 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 31, 2020, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=98879. 1.3 MB in all. - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 606 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40485671&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Master.PDF - Accident Photographs (item 2, .PDF, 608 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40485672&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Accident%20Photographs%20-Master.PDF - Pilot Record of Conversation (item 3, .PDF, 62 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40485673&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%20Record%20of%20Conversation%20-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.