# NTSB CEN24LA301: Tailwind W10, N129WT, West Livingston, TX, August 3, 2024

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · Minor injuries · Class 3 · Limited · Final report
- Date: August 3, 2024, 10:00 local (15:00 UTC)
- Place: West Livingston, TX
- Coordinates: 30.686166, -95.018 (estimated)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=30.6862&lon=-95.0180&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Defining event: [Enroute: Loss of engine power (partial)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/342)
- Highest injury: Minor injuries
- Injuries: 1 minor
- Status: Completed
- Report: Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class: Class 3
- NTSB office: Central Region
- Parties: FAA
- SAIBs cited in the narratives: [SAIB CE-09-35](https://openairdocs.org/saib/CE-09-35) (OpenAirDocs)
- NTSB case key (mKey): 194846
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN24LA301
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/194846/pdf
- NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=194846
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN24LA301

## Probable cause

A partial loss of engine power due to carburetor ice.

## Findings

NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause.

- [Temp/humidity/pressure: conducive to carburetor icing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03031030): Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena · Effect on equipment (probable cause); cases with it: [Dendy Joe A TAILWIND W10, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03031030/cases.md?model=05632XG), [All aircraft, 435 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03031030/cases.md)
- [Ice/rain protection system: intake anti-ice, deice](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01023020): Aircraft › Aircraft systems · Incorrect use/operation; cases with it: [Dendy Joe A TAILWIND W10, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01023020/cases.md?model=05632XG), [All aircraft, 108 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01023020/cases.md)
- [Action: lack of action](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041030): Personnel issues › Action/decision · Pilot; cases with it: [Dendy Joe A TAILWIND W10, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041030/cases.md?model=05632XG), [All aircraft, 792 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041030/cases.md)

## Sequence of events

The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened.

- [Enroute: Loss of engine power (partial)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/342) (defining event); cases with it: [Dendy Joe A TAILWIND W10, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/342/sequence.md?model=05632XG), [All aircraft, 1,858 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/342/sequence.md)
- [Landing-landing roll: Runway excursion](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/300); cases with it: [Dendy Joe A TAILWIND W10, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/300/sequence.md?model=05632XG), [All aircraft, 3,643 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/300/sequence.md)

## Analysis

About 30 minutes after departing on a cross-country flight, the pilot heard the engine “misfire,” but observed that all engine instruments and temperatures appeared normal. The engine misfired again, and he decided to return to his departure airport. A few minutes later, the engine lost partial power. Unable to maintain altitude, the pilot elected to divert to a nearby airport. During the landing roll, the airplane exited the runway surface, nosed over, and came to rest inverted. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer and rudder. Postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. Based on the reported weather conditions at the time of the partial power loss, the airplane was operating in conditions conducive to the formation of serious icing at glide power. The pilot reported that he applied carburetor heat and felt that application exacerbated the problem, so he turned off the carburetor heat and continued with the forced landing. It is likely the engine sustained a partial loss of engine power due to the formation of carburetor ice and that the pilot likely turned off the carburetor heat before the ice melted.

## Factual narrative

On August 3, 2024, about 1000 central daylight time, an experimental, amateur-built Tailwind W10 airplane, N129WT, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near West Livingston, Texas. The pilot sustained minor injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. According to the pilot, he departed his local airport for a cross-country flight. About 30 minutes into the flight, he heard the engine “misfire,” but all engine instruments and temperatures appeared normal. The engine misfired again, and he decided to return to his departure airport. A few minutes later, the pilot experienced a significant loss of engine power, and elected to divert to a nearby airport. The pilot stated he did not have a lot of time to troubleshoot and executed a forced landing to the airport. During the landing roll, the airplane exited the runway surface, nosed over, and came to rest inverted. At some point while experiencing the engine issues, the pilot applied carburetor heat, which he felt exacerbated the problem, so he turned off the carburetor heat and continued the forced landing. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer and rudder. Engine continuity was confirmed, and a compression check of the cylinders, and examination of the spark plugs and the ignition system all showed no anomalies. Fuel was observed in the fuel lines to the carburetor, and fuel flowed freely into the carburetor. Engine control continuity was confirmed. The examination revealed no evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. A review of the Carburetor Icing Probability Chart located in the Federal Aviation Administration’s Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin CE-09-35, Carburetor Icing Prevention, dated June 30, 2009, indicated that the atmospheric conditions in which the airplane was operating were conducive to the formation of serious icing at glide power settings.

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N129WT](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N129WT), registered now, S/N 001, built 2014 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: TAILWIND W10
- Registry model: [Dendy Joe A TAILWIND W10](https://openairdocs.org/model/dendy-joe-a-tailwind-w10) (registry code 05632XG) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: [Lycoming O-320-E2D](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-o-320-e2d) (registry code 42123, 4 cycle) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number: 001
- Year built: 2014
- Airframe hours: 310.5
- Engines: Lycoming O-320-E2D 160 horsepower reciprocating
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Flight: Personal, Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate: Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection: Condition, March 15, 2024
- Departed: HPY, Baytown, TX
- Destination: GPM, Grand Prairie, TX
- Airport: 00R, Livingston Muni, runway 12, 3,704 × 60 ft, asphalt
- Equipment: Electronic primary flight display, Handheld GPS, ADS-B, Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Electronic multifunction display

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Pilot; age 76; injuries: minor; airline transport; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: helicopter, airplane; medical: class 3, with waivers/limitations; last flight review April 29, 2024; seat: left; restraint: 4-point; flight hours: 20,150 total, 60.5 in this make and model, 17,856 as pilot in command, 19.9 in the last 90 days, 16.4 in the last 30 days

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day
- Wind: 300° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling: none
- Temperature: 79 °F, dew point 77 °F
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observed at: KUTS, 30 nm away
- METAR: KUTS 031453Z AUTO 30006KT 10SM CLR 26/25 A3004 RMK AO2 SLP166 T02610250 51008 $

## 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 20240803009989A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20240803009989A), Aug 3, 2024: Dendy Joe A TAILWIND W10, Livingston, TX, Substantial damage. Aircraft, with one person on board, departed baytown airport (khpy), baytown, TX, enroute grand prairie, TX, part 91 flight. While in cruise flight, on two…

## Docket (4 files)

The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 14, 2024, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=194846. 8.9 MB in all.

- Pilot/operator aircraft accident report, NTSB form 6120.1 (item 1, PDF, 9 pages, 7.8 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=17621605&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=CEN24LA301%206120_Redacted-Rel.pdf
- FAA examination summary (item 2, PDF, 1 page, 173 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=17621057&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=FAA%20Exam%20Notes%20Email_Redacted-Rel.pdf
- Carburetor ice chart (item 3, PDF, 1 page, 334 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=17620912&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=CEN24LA301%20Carb%20Ice%20Chart-Rel.pdf
- Investigation photograph (item 4, PDF, 2 pages, 594 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=17621553&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Photo%20Array-Rel.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.

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