- Date
- March 31, 1992, 17:15 local (22:15 UTC)
- Place
- Palmer, MA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N3047NCessna 140
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 13, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920331007859A
- Case key
- 37136
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 improper use of carburetor heat which resulted in a power loss due to carburetor ice over unsuitable terrain. Factors related to the accident were the carburetor icing conditions and the failure of the pilot to be aware of the temperature/dewpoint spread.
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 airplane was on final approach and the pilot added power because he saw he would be landing short of the runway. There was no engine response to the throttle movement and the airplane landed 500 ft short of the runway in a muddy area and flipped over. The engine was run on the airplane after the accident and no discrepancies were noted. The temperature and dewpoint 20 miles to the east was recordd as 43 f and 32 f. according to the FAA carburetor icing chart, the recorded temperature and dewpoint was conducive to serious carburetor icing. When interviewed the pilot said he used carburetor heat on approach; however, he was not aware of the temperature/dewpoint spread.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3047N
- Reported as
- Cessna 140
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 13305
- Airframe hours
- 3,884
- Engine
- Continental C-85-12, 85 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Ferry · Part 91
- Operator
- Robert E. Martin, Jr.
- Registered owner
- Donald Bradley
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 20, 1988 · 3 hours before
- Departed
- MMK · Meriden, CT
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
- 57
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 860 total · 80 in this make and model · 7 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 10° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 25,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 43 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ORH, 20 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.