- Date
- December 9, 1997, 12:00 local (18:00 UTC)
- Place
- Dawson, ND
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N55259Piper PA-28-140
- Weather
- Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 28, 1999
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19971209038159A
- Case key
- 10805
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
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Probable cause
The pilot's improper use of carburetor heat. Factors were carburetor icing conditions and a fence.
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 said that engine power was lost during initial climb. He conducted a forced landing off the airport and the airplane impacted a fence. According to the Icing Probability Chart, the conditions favorable to the formation of induction system icing existed based on the temperature and dew point at the two nearest reporting stations. The pilot said that he 'tried' carburetor heat after the loss of power; however, the airplane touched down prior to engine power being restored.
Factual narrative
On December 9, 1997, at 1200 central time, a Piper PA-28-140, N55259, sustained substantial damage during a forced landing after departing a private airstrip. The pilot reported no injuries. The pilot said the engine lost power on initial climb and a forced landing resulted in the airplane impacting a fence. The personal 14 CFR Part 91 flight was operating in what the pilot stated was visual meteorological conditions. No flight plan was on file for the local flight. The flight was originating at the time of the accident.
Bismarck Municipal Airport, 40 miles to the west of the accident site was reporting instrument meteorological conditions in the form of a ceiling of 800 feet, five minutes prior to the accident. The temperature was 26 degrees (F),and the dew point was 23 degrees (F). Jamestown Municipal Airport 52 miles to the east of the accident site was reporting instrument meteorological conditions in the form of visibility one and one-half miles in light snow and fog, 12 minutes prior to the accident. The temperature was 28 degrees (F) and the dew point was 23 degrees (F). The pilot reported conditions at the accident site as clear with unrestricted visibility.
The pilot said that after the initial loss of power and he initiated a forced landing, he switched tanks and "tried" the carburetor heat, but engine power was not restored prior to the airplane touching down and impacting a fence..
An Icing Probability chart from a Federal Aviation Administration Advisory Circular is attached to this report. The temperatures and dew points from the above reporting stations indicate conditions favorable to formation of induction system icing.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N55259
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-140
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-7325354
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2A, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Warren S. Devore
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- NONE
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
- 39
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 61 total · 11 in this make and model · 30 as pilot in command · 16 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Day
- Wind
- 100° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 6 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 800 ft broken
- Temperature
- 27 °F, dew point 25 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- BIS, 39 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.