# NTSB ERA12LA148: Cessna 172I, N35571, Springfield, TN, January 19, 2012 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: January 19, 2012, 14:55 local (20:55 UTC) - Place: Springfield, TN - Coordinates: 36.433612, -86.898056 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=36.4336&lon=-86.8981&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Approach](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/500) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Approach: Loss of engine power (total)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report June 14, 2012 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Eastern Region Aviation - Parties: FAA/FSDO - SAIBs cited in the narratives: [SAIB CE-09-35](https://openairdocs.org/saib/CE-09-35) (OpenAirDocs) - NTSB case key (mKey): 82705 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ERA12LA148 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/82705/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=82705 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA12LA148 ## Probable cause The pilot did not apply carburetor heat during approach to landing, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to carburetor icing. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Action: lack of action](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041030): Personnel issues › Action/decision · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Cessna 172I, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041030/cases.md?model=2072426), [All aircraft, 792 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041030/cases.md) - [Temp/humidity/pressure: conducive to carburetor icing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03031030): Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena · Effect on equipment; cases with it: [Cessna 172I, 3 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03031030/cases.md?model=2072426), [All aircraft, 435 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03031030/cases.md) - [Engine controls](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01057600): Aircraft › Aircraft power plant · Not used/operated (probable cause); cases with it: [Cessna 172I, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01057600/cases.md?model=2072426), [All aircraft, 51 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01057600/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Approach: Loss of engine power (total)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341) (defining event); cases with it: [Cessna 172I, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341/sequence.md?model=2072426), [All aircraft, 3,820 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341/sequence.md) - [Emergency descent: Off-field or emergency landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440); cases with it: [Cessna 172I, 4 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440/sequence.md?model=2072426), [All aircraft, 3,365 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440/sequence.md) - [Landing: Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT) ](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470); cases with it: [Cessna 172I, 6 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md?model=2072426), [All aircraft, 10,189 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md) ## Analysis The pilot was flying the airplane on the second leg of a visual flight rules cross-country trip, which he flew at an altitude of 3,500 feet in order to remain below an overcast ceiling. Approaching the destination airport, the pilot began a cruise descent and, about 10 miles from the airport, began configuring the airplane for landing. The pilot reduced engine power to about 1,500 rpm, set the mixture to full rich, but did not activate the carburetor heat. The engine then lost power, and the pilot subsequently performed a forced landing to a field. During the landing, the nose landing gear struck a ditch. Responders noted that fuel was recovered from the airplane following the accident; the engine was run after the accident with no anomalies noted. The temperature and dew point reported on the surface at an airport located about 21 nautical miles from the accident site were conducive to carburetor icing at both glide and cruise power settings. ## Factual narrative On January 19, 2012, about 1455 central standard time, a Cessna 172I, N35571, was substantially damaged during a forced landing near Springfield, Tennessee. The certificated commercial pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the flight, which originated from Vermilion Regional Airport (DNV), Danville, Illinois about 1215, and was destined for John C. Tune Airport (JWN), Nashville, Tennessee. The personal flight was conducted under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.According to a written statement submitted by the pilot, he departed from Wittman Regional Airport (OSH), Oshkosh, Wisconsin and stopped at DNV to service the airplane with fuel. After departing from DNV, the pilot climbed the airplane to 3,500 feet in order to remain below a low ceiling of clouds. Several miles north of Springfield, Tennessee, the pilot listened to the JWN automated weather observation and began a cruise descent. About 10 nautical miles north of JWN, and while descending through 2,100 feet, the pilot began to configure the airplane for landing. The pilot reduced engine power to about 1,500 rpm and set the fuel mixture to full rich, but did not activate the carburetor heat. The engine then "suddenly acted as though it were starved for fuel." With rising terrain ahead, and only being about 800 feet above the ground, the pilot "pumped" the throttle, began searching for a suitable forced landing area, and activated the emergency locator transmitter. As the pilot approached the intended landing field from the east, he realized that the airplane was high and fast, so flew north and circled back in order to set up for a landing to the southwest. The pilot subsequently landed the airplane on the downward slope of the field at an airspeed around 60 knots. During the rollout, the nose landing gear struck a ditch and the airplane nosed over. A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector examined the wreckage following the accident and reported that the airplane had incurred substantial damage during the accident, including damage to the nose landing gear and firewall. The inspector also noted that when he arrived at the accident scene, about 1.5 hours after the accident occurred, a strong odor of aviation gasoline was present. First responders reported recovering about 5 gallons of fuel that had drained from the airplane, and a local airframe and powerplant mechanic who prepared the airplane for recovery by removing the wings from the fuselage reported that each wing contained an "ample" quantity of fuel. The mechanic also noted normal function of the gascolator and the presence of fuel within it. After being recovered from the accident scene, the airplane was examined under the supervision of an NTSB investigator. About 2 ounces of fuel were drained from the carburetor drain plug. Since the wings of the airplane had been removed to facilitate transport following the accident, analternate fuel source was plumbed to the fuel line fitting at the right wing root. The right fuel tank was subsequently selected in the cockpit, and fuel flowed to the gascolator and carburetor. During a test run, the engine started immediately and without hesitation. The engine was then operated at various power settings between idle and 2,500 rpm for about 5 minutes, with no anomalies noted. The weather conditions reported at Nashville International Airport (BNA), Nashville, Tennessee, elevation 599 feet, located about 21 nautical miles southeast of the accident site, at 1453, included winds from 200 degrees at 10 knots, 10 statute miles visibility, few clouds at 15,000 feet, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet, temperature 10 degrees Celsius (C), dewpoint minus 04 degrees C, and an altimeter setting of 29.97 inches of mercury. According to FAA Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB) CE-09-35, Carburetor Icing Prevention, dated June 30, 2009, "Pilots should be aware that carburetor icing doesn't just occur in freezing conditions, it can occur at temperatures well above freezing temperatures when there is visible moisture or high humidity. Icing can occur in the carburetor at temperatures above freezing because vaporization of fuel, combined with the expansion of air as it flows through the carburetor, (Venturi Effect) causes sudden cooling, sometimes by a significant amount within a fraction of a second." The SAIB provided a diagram which showed the probability of carburetor icing for various temperature and relative humidity conditions. Applying the surface temperature and dewpoint reported at BNA about the time of the accident to the diagram showed that "Icing (glide and cruise power)" conditions prevailed. Among the recommendations in the SAIB to pilots was that pilots should, "Use carburetor heat on approach and descent when operating at low power settings, or in conditions where carburetor icing is probable." ## Aircraft - Registration: [N35571](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N35571-2023-10-07), registration cancelled 2023-10-07, S/N 17256842, built 1968 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: CESSNA 172I - Registry model: [Cessna 172I](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172i) (registry code 2072426) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming 0-320 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (registry code 41508, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 17256842 - Airframe hours: 2754 - Engines: LYCOMING O-320-E2D 150 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, January 17, 2012 - Departed: DNV, Danville, IL - Destination: JWN, Nashville, TN ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 67; injuries: none; commercial; airplane ratings: single-engine sea, single-engine land; medical: class 3, with waivers/limitations; last flight review November 19, 2010; seat: left; flight hours: 3,200 total, 450 in this make and model, 3,050 as pilot in command, 50 in the last 90 days, 22 in the last 30 days ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 200° at 10 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 50 °F, dew point 25 °F - Altimeter: 29.96 inHg - Observed at: BNA, 21 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 20120119000619A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20120119000619A), Jan 19, 2012: Cessna 172I, Springfield, TN, Substantial damage. Description: aircraft was on the second leg of a cross country flight. The accident happened between dnv and jwn along a fifteen mile final in day VMC.… ## Other investigations on N35571 (3) 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. - [NTSB ERA22LA203](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA22LA203), Apr 22, 2022: Cessna 172 (N35571), Westminster, MD, substantial damage. Probable cause: The student pilot’s failure to attain the proper touchdown point which resulted in a runway overrun. - [NTSB CEN09CA139](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN09CA139), Jan 19, 2009: Cessna 172I (N35571), Rockford, IL, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's inability to maintain directional control during the landing roll after contacting a low-lying snow bank that was obscured by drifting snow. - [NTSB CHI76FEE51](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI76FEE51), Apr 11, 1976: Cessna 172I (N35571), Ransom, IL, substantial damage ## Docket (7 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 3, 2012, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=82705. 7.7 MB in all. - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 737 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40363320&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Redacted.PDF - Memorandum for Record, Summary of Correspondence with FAA Inspector (item 2, .PDF, 87 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40363321&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Memorandum%20for%20Record,%20Summary%20of%20Correspondence%20with%20FAA%20Inspector-Master.PDF - Photo 1 - Airplane From Right (Photo Courtesy of FAA) (item 3, .PDF, 3.0 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40363324&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%201%20-%20Airplane%20From%20Right%20(Photo%20Courtesy%20of%20FAA)-Master.PDF - Photo 2 - Airplane From Bottom (Photo Courtesy of FAA) (item 4, .PDF, 3.2 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40363325&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%202%20-%20Airplane%20From%20Bottom%20(Photo%20Courtesy%20of%20FAA)-Master.PDF - Photo 3 - Engine Test Run (item 5, .PDF, 643 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40363326&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%203%20-%20Engine%20Test%20Run-Master.PDF - Weather Information (METAR, BNA) (item 6, .PDF, 14 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40363323&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Weather%20Information%20(METAR,%20BNA)-Master.PDF - Release of Aircraft Wreckage, NTSB Form 6120.15 (item 7, .PDF, 69 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40363444&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Release%20of%20Aircraft%20Wreckage,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.15-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.