- Date
- April 6, 1991, 10:55 local (16:55 UTC)
- Place
- San Ygnacio, TX
- Injuries
- 2 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N4437UCessna 150D
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 24, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910406058799A
- Case key
- 23319
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
Power loss due to carburetor ice and a malfunctioning carburetor heat control and the pilot's loss of control of the airplane.
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 PIC asked the passenger riding in the left seat if he wanted to see how the ag pilots flew. He reduced power to idle and dove down toward an open field. After traversing the field the pilot added power and the passenger heard a 'pop or bang' noise from the engine and the pilot said 'oh my god'. The airplane subsequently impacted in the field in a shallow nose down attitude and a slight left bank and cart-wheeled. Investigation revealed that conditions were present for carburetor icing and that the carburetor accelerator pump was not actuating smoothly. The carburetor heat control was found jammed to the full on position following the accident; however, it could not be determined if that was the condition prior to impact.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4437U
- Reported as
- Cessna 150D
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15060437
- Airframe hours
- 3,266
- Engine
- Continental O-200-A, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Juan A. Guevera, Sr.
- Registered owner
- Jose M. Garza
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 18, 1990 · 114 hours before
- Departed
- NONE · Zapata, TX
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
- 59
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 384 total · 384 as pilot in command · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 10° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 8 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,500 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 68 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N4437U · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.