MIA07LA028

NTSB accident investigation · Cessna 150K · Cape Coral, FL · December 17, 2006

Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal report
Date
December 17, 2006, 06:15 local (11:15 UTC)
Place
Cape Coral, FL
Injuries
1 uninjured
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Enroute
Aircraft
N6069GCessna 150K
Weather
Instrument (IMC) · Night
Status
Completed · report September 27, 2007
Report
Approved by Office Director
Parties
FAA FSDO
FAA report
20061217026869A
Case key
65061

From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.

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Probable cause

The pilot's in-flight encounter with carburetor ice and inadequate remedial action which resulted in the engine ceasing to operate and a forced landing and damage to the airplane during the landing.

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.

Loss of engine powerCruise - normal
Remedial action - inadequatePilot in commandCause
Weather condition - carburetor icing conditions
Forced landingEmergency descent/landing
On ground/water collision with objectLanding - roll
Object - sign

Analysis

The pilot stated that a few minutes after departing, while at 1,000 feet over the city of Cape Coral, Florida, he said he set the throttle to a cruise RPM of 2300, and within about a half minute the engine RPMs dropped to idle RPM. He said he activated the carburetor heat control and a few minutes later the engine ceased operating. He said he attempted to restart the engine, but it would not start, so he made a forced landing on the northbound lanes of a 4-laned street. During the landing rollout the right wing struck two road signs and the airplane veered, incurring damage. The 0630, Fort Myers (FMY), Florida, surface weather observation showed that the visibility was 1 and 3/4 statute miles, and the ceiling as 600 overcast. FAA records showed that the private-rated pilot/owner of the accident airplane did not possess an instrument rating. An FAA maintenance inspector responded to the accident scene, removed the engine cowling, and conducted an examination of the airplane. No anomalies were noted. In addition an FAA licensed mechanic conducted a detailed engine examination under FAA supervision, and no anomalies were noted. Review of carburetor icing probability charts show that at the time of the engine failure the flight was operating in conditions conductive to moderate icing during cruise power settings and serious icing during glide/descent power settings.

Factual narrative

On December 17, 2006, about 0615 eastern standard time, a Cessna 150K, N6069G, registered to and operated by a private individual, as a Title 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight, made a forced landing to a road in Cape Coral, Florida. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The private-rated pilot was not injured, and the airplane incurred substantial damage. The flight originated in Fort Myers, Florida, the same day, about 0605.

The pilot stated that he departed from Page Field, Fort Myers, Florida, for a VFR flight to Tallahassee, Florida, with a planned stop in Ocala, Florida. He said that he had gotten the weather report from DUATS and the ASOS. A few minutes after departing, while at 1,000 feet over the city of Cape Coral, Florida, he said he set the throttle to a cruise RPM of 2300, and within about a half minute the engine RPMs dropped to idle RPM. He said he activated the carburetor heat control and a few minutes later the engine ceased operating. He said he attempted to restart the engine but it would not start, so he made a forced landing on the northbound lanes of a 4-laned street. During the landing rollout the right wing struck two road signs and the airplane veered, incurring damage.

The 0630, Fort Myers (FMY), Florida, surface weather observation showed that the visibility was 1 and 3/4 statute miles, and the ceiling as 600 overcast. FAA records showed that the private-rated pilot/owner of the accident airplane did not possess an instrument rating.

On December 17, 2006, an FAA maintenance inspector responded to the accident scene, removed the engine cowling, and conducted an examination of the airplane. No anomalies were noted. In addition, on December 21, 2006, An FAA licensed mechanic conducted a detailed engine examination under FAA supervision, and no anomalies were noted.

Review of carburetor icing probability charts show that at the time of the engine failure the flight was operating in conditions conductive to moderate icing during cruise power settings and serious icing during glide/descent power settings.

Aircraft

Registration
N6069G
Reported as
Cessna 150K
Category
Airplane
Serial number
15071569
Airframe hours
3,611
Engine
Continental O-200A, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Personal · Part 91
Registered owner
Stanley R. Shaw
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Utility
Last inspection
Annual · April 1, 2006 · 42 hours before
Departed
FMY · Fort Myers, FL
Destination
OCF · Ocala, FL

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
40
Injuries
None
Certificate
Private
Airplane ratings
Single-engine land
Medical
Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
Last flight review
September 1, 2005
Seat
Left
Flight hours
188 total · 182 in this make and model · 118 as pilot in command · 7 in the last 90 days

Weather

Conditions
Instrument (IMC) · Night
Wind
80° at 5 knots
Visibility
1.75 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
600 ft overcast
Temperature
66 °F, dew point 64 °F
Altimeter
30.12 inHg
Observed at
FMY, 5 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.

Other investigations on N6069G · 2

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.