- Date
- July 1, 2006, 12:45 local (16:45 UTC)
- Place
- Toms River, NJ
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N50619Bellanca 7GCBC
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 25, 2007
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20060701031239A
- Case key
- 64037
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 pilot's delayed application of carburetor heat, which resulted in a loss of engine power, and subsequent force landing. A factor in the accident was carburetor icing conditions.
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
While in cruise flight, at an altitude of 1,000 feet, the airplane's engine lost power. The pilot applied full throttle; however, the engine failed to respond, and the airplane continued to lose altitude and airspeed. At an altitude of 800 feet, the pilot applied carburetor heat and looked for a place to land. He performed a forced landing on a road, during which the airplane impacted a road sign. Examination of the airplane revealed the throttle and carburetor heat controls were observed in the off position, and approximately 17 gallons of fuel was drained from the airplane, with no contamination observed. Fuel was also observed in the carburetor bowl, gascolator, and fuel lines. The throttle, mixture, and carburetor heat control linkages were connected and operated smoothly. The throttle and carburetor heat controls were observed in the off position. The engine was test run on the airframe. It started normally and was operated between 1500 and 1700 RPM. During the test run, operational checks of the magnetos, mixture and carburetor heat controls revealed no anomalies. Interpolation of a carburetor icing probability chart revealed that atmospheric conditions were conducive to "icing at glide or cruise power."
Factual narrative
On July 1, 2006, at 1245 eastern daylight time, a Bellanca 7GCBC, N50619, was substantially damaged during a forced landing in Toms River, New Jersey. The certificated commercial pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local banner towing flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
According to the pilot, as he was flying westbound at an altitude of 1,000 feet, the airplane's engine lost power. The pilot applied full throttle; however, the engine did not respond, and the airplane continued to lose altitude and airspeed. At an altitude of 800 feet, the pilot applied carburetor heat and looked for a place to land. He performed a forced landing on a road, during which the airplane impacted a road sign. The airplane subsequently spun around, the landing gear impacted a curb, and the airplane skidded to a stop in a grass area.
Examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector revealed that approximately 17 gallons of fuel were drained from the airplane, with no contamination observed. Fuel was also observed in the carburetor bowl, gascolator, and fuel lines. The throttle, mixture, and carburetor heat control linkages were connected and operated smoothly. The throttle and carburetor heat controls were observed in the off position.
The engine was test run on the airframe. It started normally and was operated between 1500 and 1700 RPM. During the test run, operational checks of the magnetos, mixture and carburetor heat controls revealed no anomalies.
Weather reported at McGuire Air Force Base, Wrightstown, New Jersey, approximately 22 miles to the northwest, at 1255, included winds from 290 degrees at 7 knots, visibility 7 miles, scattered clouds at 5,000 feet, temperature 84 degrees Fahrenheit, dew point 61 degrees Fahrenheit, and an altimeter setting of 30.16 inches of mercury.
Interpolation of a carburetor icing probability chart revealed that atmospheric conditions were conducive to "light icing at glide or cruise power."
Aircraft
- Registration
- N50619
- Reported as
- Bellanca 7GCBC
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1171-79
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Banner tow · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Island Aerial Ads
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 1, 2005
- Departed
- LDJ · Linden, NJ
- Destination
- LDJ
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
- 47
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 2,645 total · 37 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 290° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 61 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.15 inHg
- Observed at
- WRI, 18 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.