CEN23FA077

The flight instructor and student pilot flew a visual arrival to a non-towered airport in dark night visual meteorological conditions. Flight track information revealed that the airplane approached the airport and its last recorded position was consistent with a left downwind entry to the traffic pattern. The wreckage was located about 1.2 miles south of the runway, where the airplane impacted a farm field in a near wings-level and moderate nose-down attitude. Examination of the airplane and engine revealed no evidence of a mechanical failure or malfunction that would have precluded normal operation. The carburetor heat control was in the full forward (off) position at the accident site and the wing flaps were retracted. The weather conditions around the time of the accident were conducive to the development of serious carburetor icing at cruise power settings. The propeller spinner and both propeller blades exhibited minimal rotational damage, and the airplane’s impact attitude was consistent with a loss of control. The cockpit was equipped with flood ‘strip’ lights, which the flight instructor had previously reported could make viewing the in-set instruments in the cockpit more difficult at night. It is likely that the pilots were maneuvering to land before the accident occurred and would have been operating the airplane at a reduced engine power setting. The reduced power, lack of carburetor heat, and the atmospheric conditions present at the time would have significantly increased the engine’s susceptibility to the development of carburetor icing, and resulted in a loss of engine power. Given the lack of flight track information, and witnesses, whether the accident occurred during the approach for the first landing or during a subsequent traffic pattern/landing could not be determined. The extent to which the dark night conditions, airplane interior lighting, and lack of cultural lighting in the vicinity of the airport may have contributed to the outcome also could not be determined.

The cockpit was equipped with flood ‘strip’ lights, which the flight instructor had previously reported could make viewing the in-set instruments in the cockpit more difficult at night (see Figure 2). Figure 2. Accident Airplane Cockpit Illuminated by Flood Lights K01 was equipped with minimum intensity runway lighting for runway 16/34. On January 11, 2023, about 1924 central standard time, a Cessna 150H, N22859, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Farington Field Airport (K01), Auburn, Nebraska. The flight instructor and student pilot were fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 instructional flight. According to automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) information, the airplane departed Lincoln Airport (LNK), Lincoln, Nebraska, about 1845 and climbed to 3,500 ft mean sea level (msl). About 6 miles northwest of K01, the airplane began a descent and the last ADS-B information captured at 19:22:26 showed the airplane about 1.1 miles west of K01 at 105 knots groundspeed and about 1,900 ft msl (see Figure 1). Figure 1. Airplane’s Flight Track, K01 Airport, and Accident Site The airplane impacted a field without crops while on a southeasterly heading, about 1.2 miles south of the runway 34 threshold at K01. An autopsy was performed on the flight instructor and student pilot by a medical examiner, as directed by the Nemaha County Coroner, Auburn, Nebraska. The cause of death was multiple blunt force injuries. Toxicology testing of the flight instructor and student pilot performed by the FAA Forensic Sciences Laboratory did not identify any tested-for substances. On the evening of the accident, United States Naval Observatory data indicated sunset occurred at 1717, the end of civil twilight was at 1747, and moonrise was at 2153 (after the accident). The accident site was surrounded by farm fields with an absence of cultural lighting. According to the FAA Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin CE-09-35, Carburetor Icing Prevention, the probability of carburetor icing during the weather conditions of the accident was serious at cruise power. The flight instructor was issued his initial Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) flight instructor certificate on August 6, 2022, and a flight instructor instrument airplane rating on November 22, 2022. The flight instructor had accumulated about 36 total flight hours at night, and about 12 flight hours instructing students at night. The airplane impacted a field without crops while on a southeasterly heading, about 1.2 miles south of the runway 34 threshold at K01. Ground impressions of the landing gear and crushing of the front fuselage (nose area) were consistent with a near wings level and moderate nose down attitude during impact. All components of the airplane were observed at the impact site. Flight control continuity was confirmed. The wing flaps and wing flap actuator were both observed in the retractedposition. Fuel drained from both wing tanks and the fuel bowl contained no indications of water or sediment. The propeller spinner was crushed aft, with minimal rotational damage. Both propeller blades were bent aft, with minimal rotational scoring or polishing. The throttle control was observed in a mid-position and was bent, and the mixture control was near the full forward (rich) position. The carburetor heat control was observed in the full forward (off) position. No evidence of pre-impact mechanical malfunctions were observed during examinations of the engine and airframe that would have precluded normal operation.