- Date
- October 25, 1989, 11:00 local (15:00 UTC)
- Place
- Townsend, MA
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N6309FCessna T172N
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 23, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19891025042829A
- Case key
- 36574
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 pilot's failure to use carburetor heat during weather conditions favorable to carburetor icing. A contributing factor was the lack of suitable terrain.
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 Cessna 172 was cruising at 3200 feet when it lost power due to carburetor icing. The student pilot was unable to restart the engine and made a forced landing in a wooded area to avoid power lines & personnel.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6309F
- Reported as
- Cessna T172N
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 172-73187
- Airframe hours
- 2,200
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-H2AD, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Fitchburg Colonial Aviation
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 11, 1989 · 33 hours before
- Departed
- FIT · Fitchburg, MA
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
- 55
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 102 total · 60 in this make and model · 12 as pilot in command · 15 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 350° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- M&T, 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.