- Date
- December 9, 1991, 11:00 local (16:00 UTC)
- Place
- Elkhart, IN
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N2961XCessna 177
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 8, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19911209059039A
- Case key
- 15370
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot in command's failure to use carburetor heat. A factor to the accident was the carburetor icing conditions.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The pilot reported the engine lost partial power shortly after liftoff while still over the runway. He subsequently landed on the runway, but was unable to stop prior to overrunning the end and striking trees. The temperature and dew point reported at south bend, Indiana, were 39 and 33 degrees respectively. According to icing probability charts, these temperatures are conducive to the formation of carburetor ice. The engine was examined and successfully run post accident with no mechanical anomalies noted.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2961X
- Reported as
- Cessna 177
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17700361
- Airframe hours
- 1,461
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2D, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Frank G. Fisher
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Unknown · April 11, 1991 · 11 hours before
- Airport
- 3C1 · Mishawaka, runway 21, 2,500 × 40 ft, asphalt
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 72
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 2,000 total · 11 in this make and model · 11 in the last 90 days · 11 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 4,300 ft broken
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.