- Date
- April 24, 2004, 11:40 local (17:40 UTC)
- Place
- Lyons, CO
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N5048ECessna 172N
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 29, 2004
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20040424009199A
- Case key
- 59109
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
a loss of engine power due to carburetor icing. Contributing factors were weather conditions conducive to carburetor icing and unsuitable terrain available on which to make a forced landing and the road sign.
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
According to the flight instructor, they were practicing engine failure procedures (with the use of carburetor heat) when the engine lost power. During the landing roll, the airplane struck a street sign, substantially damaging the airplane. The engine was run by an Airframe and Powerplant mechanic on April 24, 2004. The engine started without hesitation and a carburetor heat check and magneto check were performed with no anomalies. The fuel tanks were reported to be "half full." The temperature was 45 degrees Fahrenheit (F), and the dewpoint was 33 degrees F. According to the Carburetor Icing Chart, the conditions were conducive for "serious icing at cruise power."
Factual narrative
On April 24, 2004, at approximately 1140 mountain daylight time, a Cessna 172N, N5048E, was substantially damaged when it struck a sign during a forced landing near Lyons, Colorado. The commercial flight instructor and pilot receiving instruction were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. No flight plan had been filed for the local flight being conducted under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91. The flight had departed Vance Brand Airport, Longmont, Colorado, at approximately 1050.
According to the flight instructor, they were practicing engine failure procedures (with the use of carburetor heat) when the engine lost power. He made a forced landing on a road near Lyons, Colorado. During the landing roll, the airplane struck a street sign. The right auxiliary wing spar was bent, the right leading edge was crushed, and the left horizontal stabilizer was crushed. The engine was run by an Airframe and Powerplant mechanic on April 24, 2004. The engine started without hesitation and a carburetor heat check and magneto check were performed with no anomalies. The fuel tanks were reported to be "half full."
The Fort Collins Loveland METAR (Routine Aviation Weather) taken at 1055 reported the temperature as 45 degrees Fahrenheit (F), and the dewpoint as 33 degrees F. According to the Carburetor Icing Chart, the conditions were conducive for "serious icing at cruise power."
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5048E
- Reported as
- Cessna 172N
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17271699
- Airframe hours
- 8,004
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-H2AD, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Air West Flight Center Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 20, 2004 · 10 hours before
- Departed
- 2V2 · Longmont, CO
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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 43
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Last flight review
- September 11, 2003
- Seat
- Rear
- Flight hours
- 1,196 total · 178 in this make and model · 1,114 as pilot in command · 39 in the last 90 days · 9 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 17
- Injuries
- None
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 12 total · 7 in this make and model · 11 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 45 °F, dew point 34 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.97 inHg
- Observed at
- FNL, 170 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.