- Date
- August 1, 1991, 14:30 local (18:30 UTC)
- Place
- Alton, NH
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N4436MPiper PA-12
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 27, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910801036869A
- Case key
- 36980
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 improper use of carburetor heat, which resulted in a loss of engine power.
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 reduced power and descended to 2000 feet. When he applied power, the engine RPM began to drop. He used carb heat, but the RPM drop continued. He landed the airplane in trees. The pilot said, 'I believe it was carb ice. After living in the...desert for 5 years, I'd forgotten how easy it was to form back here.' The FAA chart, 'conditions favoring carb ice formation,' shows the existing temperature/dew point could produce 'serious icing at cruise power.' The pilot had a total of 1.5 hours flight time in the PA-12.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4436M
- Reported as
- Piper PA-12
- Category
- Airplane
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320C, 108 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- William Grahn
- Registered owner
- William Grahn
- Last inspection
- Unknown · January 2, 2000
- Departed
- LCI · Laconia, NH
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
- 39
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 356 total · 2 in this make and model · 316 as pilot in command · 15 in the last 90 days · 9 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 35 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 52 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.