# NTSB NYC06CA119: Cessna 182A, N2186G, Plattsburgh, NY, July 15, 2006

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Data collection · Final report
- Date: July 15, 2006, 18:15 local (22:15 UTC)
- Place: Plattsburgh, NY
- Coordinates: 44.686668, -73.52333
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=44.6867&lon=-73.5233&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Approach](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/500) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Highest injury: Serious injuries
- Injuries: 1 serious
- Status: Completed, report January 31, 2007
- Report: Approved by Office Director
- NTSB case key (mKey): 63758
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=NYC06CA119
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/63758/pdf
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC06CA119

## Probable cause

The pilot's failure to utilize carburetor heat, which resulted in the formation of carburetor ice and subsequent engine failure.  Factors included the carburetor icing conditions and trees in the forced landing area.

## Sequence of events

In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf).

- Loss of engine power(total) - nonmechanical, approach
  - weather condition - carburetor icing conditions (contributing factor)
  - carburetor heat - not used, pilot in command (cause)
  - fuel system,carburetor - ice
- Forced landing, descent - emergency
- Hard landing, emergency descent/landing
  - object - tree(s) (contributing factor)

## Analysis

According to the pilot of the Cessna 182A, he was returning to land after completing a skydiving drop.  The descent, and the downwind and base legs of the traffic pattern were uneventful; however, after turning onto the final leg, the pilot attempted to add power, and the engine "cut out."  The pilot checked the mixture, magnetos and throttle, but the engine did not regain power.  In order to clear trees, the pilot reduced airspeed to stall speed, and the airplane landed short of the runway.   According to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector, there was adequate fuel onboard, and there were no mechanical anomalies noted, but the carburetor heat was off.  A plot of the ambient temperature and dew point on a carburetor icing probability chart revealed the likelihood of "serious [carburetor] icing at glide power."

## Factual narrative

According to the pilot of the Cessna 182A, he was returning to land after completing a skydiving drop.  The descent, and the downwind and base legs of the traffic pattern were uneventful.  However, after turning onto the final leg, the pilot attempted to add power, and the engine "cut out."  The pilot checked the mixture, magnetos and throttle, but the engine did not regain power.  In order to clear trees, the pilot reduced airspeed to stall speed, and the airplane landed short of the runway.   According to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector, there was adequate fuel onboard, and there were no mechanical anomalies noted, but the carburetor heat was off.  A plot of the ambient temperature and dew point on a carburetor icing probability chart revealed the likelihood of "serious [carburetor] icing at glide power."

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N2186G](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N2186G-2012-08-10), registration cancelled 2012-08-10, S/N 51486, built 1958 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: Cessna 182A
- Registry model: [Cessna 182A](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-182a) (registry code 2072704) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: [Continental O-470 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-o-470-series) (registry code 17026, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Airplane
- Serial number: 51486
- Engines: Continental O-470 reciprocating
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Flight: Skydiving, Part 91
- Operator: Malone Parachute Club
- Registered owner: Maplefield Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal
- Departed: PLB, Plattsburgh, NY

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Pilot; age 30; injuries: serious; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; medical: class 3; flight hours: 275 total, 20 in this make and model

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day
- Temperature: 73 °F, dew point 68 °F

## 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 20060715020159A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20060715020159A), Jul 15, 2006: Cessna 182A, Plattsburgh, NY, Substantial damage. (-23) On 07/15/2006 at approximately 18:00 hr aircraft took off from Clinton County Airport (plb) after a series of thunderstorms passed and unloaded two…

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.

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