- Date
- December 1, 1989, 20:00 local (Dec 2, 1989, 02:00 UTC)
- Place
- Grand Forks, ND
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N130NDPiper PA-28-161
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report June 25, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19891201051669A
- Case key
- 17871
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
Failure of the CFI to utilize carburetor heat prior to the induction icing and power loss. Contributing to the accident was the cfi's continued VFR flight into known and forecast instrument meteorological 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 CFI received a fss weather briefing forecasting snow showers both en route and on the return leg of the flight. While receiving vectors during the return leg, the flight encountered heavy snow showers. The dual student flew while the CFI filed and obtained IFR clearance. The plane flew for 4 minutes through heavy snow showers during the clearance procedures. Both pilots said the engine quit. The dual student entered emergency descent while the CFI added carburetor heat and attempted an engine restart, to no avail. When the student said he saw the terrain, the CFI took the flight controls and completed an emergency landing. At touchdown, the nose wheel collapsed in the plowed field. The plane slid to rest with a damaged fuselage and left wing. A postaccident inspection by an FAA inspector revealed an ice buildup in the carburetor air induction system.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N130ND
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-161
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 2841220
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-D3G, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- University Of North Dakota
- Departed
- PKD · Park Rapids, MN
- Destination
- GFK · Grand Forks, ND
- Flight plan
- IFR
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 22
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 540 total · 19 in this make and model · 400 as pilot in command · 50 in the last 90 days · 12 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 340° at 25 knots, gusting 34
- Visibility
- 37 statute miles
- Temperature
- -0 °F, dew point -0 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.