# NTSB ERA26LA079: Cessna 140, N89884, Ceres, VA, December 27, 2025 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report - Date: December 27, 2025, 17:49 UTC - Place: Ceres, VA - Coordinates: 37.016446, -81.343868 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=37.0164&lon=-81.3439&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Enroute: Fuel related](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/190) - Highest injury: Serious injuries - Injuries: 1 serious, 1 minor - Status: Completed, report May 21, 2026 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Investigation class: Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish - NTSB office: Eastern Region Aviation - Parties: FAA/FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 202223 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ERA26LA079 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/202223/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=202223 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA26LA079 ## Probable cause The pilot’s failure to recognize and mitigate carburetor icing, which resulted in a partial loss of engine power and forced landing. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Temp/humidity/pressure: conducive to carburetor icing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03031030): Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena · Awareness of condition (probable cause); cases with it: [Cessna 140, 4 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03031030/cases.md?model=2071602), [All aircraft, 435 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03031030/cases.md) - [Use of equip/info: use of equip/system](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063015): Personnel issues › Task performance · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Cessna 140, 6 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063015/cases.md?model=2071602), [All aircraft, 1,391 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063015/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Enroute: Fuel related](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/190) (defining event); cases with it: [Cessna 140, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/190/sequence.md?model=2071602), [All aircraft, 361 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/190/sequence.md) - [Landing: Off-field or emergency landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440); cases with it: [Cessna 140, 11 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440/sequence.md?model=2071602), [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 140, 32 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md?model=2071602), [All aircraft, 10,189 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md) ## Analysis According to the pilot, while enroute, the engine rpm began to decrease. The pilot began to troubleshoot the partial loss of engine power by verifying the cockpit switches were in the correct position, verifying the fuel selector position, switching between the magnetos, and applying carburetor heat, but the engine power did not return. The airplane was unable to maintain altitude, so the pilot made a forced landing into a field, during which the airplane collided with a tree. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and right wing. Following the accident, the pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation and stated that the partial loss of engine power the airplane experienced on the accident flight was likely the result of carburetor icing. The weather conditions at the time of the accident were conducive to the formation of serious icing at glide engine power settings. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N89884](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N89884), registered now, S/N 8929, built 1946 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: CESSNA 140 - Registry model: [Cessna 140](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-140) (registry code 2071602) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Continental C85 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-c85-series) (registry code 17008, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 8929 - Year built: 1946 - Airframe hours: 1481 - Engines: Continental Aerospace Technologies C85 SERIES 85 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Operator: Valiair Lc Trustee - Registered owner: Valiair Lc Trustee - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, February 19, 2025, 55 hours before - Departed: TRI, Blountville, NC - Destination: VBW, Bridgewater, VA - Equipment: ADS-B, Electronic flight bag or handheld device ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 29; injuries: serious; private, commercial; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, with waivers/limitations; last flight review August 24, 2025; seat: left; restraint: lap only; flight hours: 970 total, 198 in this make and model, 839 as pilot in command, 31 in the last 90 days, 21 in the last 30 days, 6 in the last 24 hours - Pilot-rated passenger; age 25; injuries: minor; commercial; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, with waivers/limitations; seat: right; restraint: lap only ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 280° at 12 knots, gusting 18 - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Temperature: 59 °F, dew point 43 °F - Altimeter: 30.06 inHg - Observed at: MKJ, 7 nm away - METAR: METAR KMKJ 271655Z AUTO 28012G18KT 10SM SCT036 15/06 A3006 ## 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 20251227018669A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20251227018669A), Dec 27, 2025: Cessna 140, Ceres, VA, Destroyed. Pilot received weather briefing from foreflight and NWS the morning of 12/27/25. Icing conditions were forecasted six hours from their departure location. PIC… ## Other investigations on N89884 (1) 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 MKC76DER33](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MKC76DER33), Oct 6, 1975: Cessna 140 (N89884), Blaine, MN, substantial damage ## Docket (6 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 21, 2026, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=202223. 5.6 MB in all. - Pilot/operator aircraft accident report, NTSB form 6120.1 (item 1, PDF, 10 pages, 1.6 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=19778342&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=ERA26LA079%20Pilot%206120_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Memorandum for record a�� telephone interview, pilot (item 2, PDF, 2 pages, 106 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=19778043&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=ERA26LA079%20Pilot%20MFR_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Memorandum for record - responding police (item 3, PDF, 1 page, 95 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=19778751&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=ERA26LA079%20Police%20MFR_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Memorandum for record - medical helicopter pilot (item 4, PDF, 1 page, 99 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=19778512&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=ERA26LA079%20Helicopter%20Pilot%20MFR_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Carburetor icing probability chart (item 5, PDF, 1 page, 325 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=19778352&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=ERA26LA079%20Carb%20Ice%20Chart-Rel.pdf - Investigative photos (item 6, PDF, 3 pages, 3.4 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=19778009&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=ERA26LA079%20Photo%20Array_Redacted-Rel.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.