- Date
- August 27, 1992, 08:40 local (15:40 UTC)
- Place
- Fresno, CA
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N3015SCessna 150G
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 14, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920827033159A
- Case key
- 27746
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
The loss of engine power due to 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 that while on downwind he ended up close to another aircraft and he extended his pattern to improve the separation. The engine lost power on final approach and the aircraft descended into trees and a house. FAA airworthiness inspectors examined the aircraft, and, after removal from the accident site to the airport, supervised a test run of the engine. Using the aircraft systems, the engine was started and exercised throughout its normal power range from idle to full power, with magneto and carburetor heat checks within limits. The aviation surface weather observation at the time of the accident was reporting a temperature and dew point of 75 and 56 degrees respectively. Review of a carburetor icing probability chart reveals that the reported temperature and dew point falls within an area of the chart defined as 'serious icing glide power or moderate icing cruise power.'
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3015S
- Reported as
- Cessna 150G
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15066915
- Airframe hours
- 6,047
- Engine
- Continental O-200-A, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Applied Aero
- Registered owner
- Applied Detector
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 6, 1992 · 99 hours before
- Airport
- FCH · Fresno Chandler, runway 3, 3,202 × 75 ft, asphalt
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
- 68
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 37 total · 37 in this make and model · 1 as pilot in command · 25 in the last 90 days · 7 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 130° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- FAT, 8 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.