# NTSB CHI02LA081: Cessna 172F, N5527R, Lynxville, WI, February 18, 2002 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: February 17, 2002, 20:00 local (Feb 18, 2002, 02:00 UTC) - Place: Lynxville, WI - Coordinates: 43.159976, -91.020309 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=43.1600&lon=-91.0203&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report August 28, 2002 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: FAA-Milwaukee, Wisconsin-FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 54235 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CHI02LA081 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/54235/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=54235 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI02LA081 ## Probable cause The pilots delayed use of carburetor heat during carburetor icing conditions, and the unsuitable terrain encountered for the forced landing. The carburetor icing conditions, the powerline, the brush, and the nose gear collapse were contributing factors. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Loss of engine power, cruise - weather condition - carburetor icing conditions (contributing factor) - carburetor heat - delayed, pilot in command (cause) - Forced landing, emergency descent/landing - In flight collision with object, emergency descent/landing - object - wire,transmission (contributing factor) - In flight collision with terrain/water, emergency descent/landing - terrain condition - high vegetation (contributing factor) - unsuitable terrain or takeoff/landing/taxi area - encountered, pilot in command (cause) - Nose gear collapsed, emergency descent/landing - landing gear,nose gear - collapsed (contributing factor) ## Analysis The airplane was damaged during a forced landing on a snow covered field following a loss of engine power in cruise flight. The pilot stated that he was in cruise flight for about 40 minutes when a loss of engine power was experienced. He said that he attempted to correct the loss of power with, "...carb[uretor] heat, power settings, change fuel tanks, mixture settings. Nothing worked so made commitement to land." The airplane struck a powerline and brush during the landing attempt. The nose landing gear collapsed and the airplane came to rest nose down on a road. The pilot stated that the, "...engine never quit but it would not develop power either." No contamination was found in the fuel system during a postaccident examination of the airplane. An engine run was performed subsequent to the accident and no anomalies were found. A weather reporting station near the accident site recorded the temperature and dewpoint as 3 degrees Celsius, and -6 degrees Celsius respectively. According to a carburetor icing chart, the temperature and dewpoint fall in the range of susceptibility for carburetor icing. ## Factual narrative On February 17, 2002, about 2000 central standard time, a Cessna 172F, N5527R, piloted by an airline transport pilot, sustained substantial damage during a forced landing following a loss of engine power in cruise flight. The airplane struck a powerline during the landing attempt and came to rest on a road. The 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight was operating on a visual flight rules flight plan in visual meteorological conditions. The pilot, who was the sole occupant, was not injured. The flight originated from the La Crosse Municipal Airport, La Crosse, Wisconsin, at 1930, and was bound for the Capital Airport, Springfield, Illinois. In a written report, the pilot stated that he was in cruise flight for about 40 minutes when a loss of engine power was experienced. He said that he attempted to correct the loss of power with, "...carb[uretor] heat, power settings, change fuel tanks, mixture settings. Nothing worked so made commitment to land." The airplane struck a powerline and brush during the landing attempt in the snow covered field. The nose landing gear collapsed and the airplane came to rest nose down on a road. The pilot stated that the, "...engine never quit but it would not develop power either." No contamination was found in the fuel system during a postaccident examination of the airplane. An engine run was performed subsequent to the accident and no anomalies were noted. The temperature and dewpoint were recorded by the weather reporting station located at the Prairie Du Chien Municipal Airport, Prairie Du Chien, Wisconsin, 16 nm south of the accident site, as 3 degrees Celsius, and -6 degrees Celsius respectively, at 1954. According to a carburetor icing chart, the temperature and dewpoint fall in the range of susceptibility for carburetor icing. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N5527R](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N5527R), registered now, S/N 17253106, built 1965 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Cessna 172F - Registry model: [Cessna 172F](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172f) (registry code 2072414) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Continental 0-300 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-0-300-series) (registry code 17022, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 17253106 - Engines: Continental O-300D 140 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Registered owner: Edward A Kloppenburg - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal - Departed: LSE, Lacrosse, WI - Destination: SPI, Springfield, IL - Flight plan: VFR ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 50; injuries: none; airline transport; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: unknown, unknown; last flight review July 1, 2001; seat: left; flight hours: 7,000 total, 600 in this make and model, 5,000 as pilot in command, 30 in the last 90 days, 10 in the last 30 days, 0 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Dusk - Wind: 120° at 7 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 37 °F, dew point 21 °F - Altimeter: 30.12 inHg - Observed at: PDC, 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 20020217004819A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20020217004819A), Feb 17, 2002: Cessna 172F, Prairie Du Chie, WI, No damage. (-23) Aircraft was at 5,500' se bound when the pilot attempted to clear carb ice with carb ht. The engine began running rough & the pilot attempted to do an… ## Docket (1 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 5, 2002, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=54235. 298 KB in all. - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 298 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40387296&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Redacted.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.