- Date
- January 8, 1992, 11:30 local (19:30 UTC)
- Place
- Arcata, CA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N1608FCessna 172H
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 11, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920108000329A
- Case key
- 27534
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
Carburetor icing and the failure of the pilot to use carburetor heat.
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 pilot said the aircraft was in cruise flight when the engine began to gradually lose power, then quit altogether. He attempted a forced landing in a pasture, hit a berm during the landing roll out and the aircraft nosed over. FAA inspectors examined the aircraft and found fuel in all tanks and lines. The engine was started in the aircraft and exercised throughout its normal power range. The Arcata aviation surface observation was reporting a temperature of 50 degrees and a dew point of 38 degrees. Review of the carburetor icing probability chart revealed that the temperature and dew point was located in an area of the chart defined as 'serious icing, climb or cruise power.'
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1608F
- Reported as
- Cessna 172H
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 55003
- Airframe hours
- 3,864
- Engine
- Continental O-300-D, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Samoa Flying Service
- Registered owner
- Samoa Flying Service
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · December 9, 1991 · 25 hours before
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
- 65
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 274 total · 234 in this make and model · 205 as pilot in command · 8 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 140° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 50 °F, dew point 37 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ACV, 15 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.