- Date
- March 30, 2007, 16:45 local (23:45 UTC)
- Place
- Enumclaw, WA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N968APiper PA-22
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 27, 2007
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 65514
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 apply carburetor heat during cruise flight. Factors include ambient weather conditions that were conducive to carburetor icing, and soft, muddy terrain at the location where the pilot attempted the power-off forced landing.
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 in ambient weather conditions under which the aircraft's carburetor was susceptible to icing (temperature 10 degres C, and dew point 7 degrees C), the engine began to lose power. Although the pilot switched fuel tanks, she did not apply carburetor heat, and eventually all engine power was lost. The pilot attempted a forced landing in a nearby field, but during the landing roll the aircraft encountered soft, muddy terrain, whereupon it rocked from side to side with sufficient amplitude to result in the wingtips coming in contact with the terrain. A post-accident inspection of the engine found no anomalies that would have kept the engine from running under non-icing conditions.
Factual narrative
While in cruise flight in ambient weather conditions under which the aircraft's carburetor was susceptible to icing (temperature 10 degrees C, and dew point 7 degrees C), the engine began to lose power. Although the pilot switched fuel tanks, she did not apply carburetor heat, and eventually all engine power was lost. The pilot attempted a forced landing in a nearby field, but during the landing roll the aircraft encountered soft, muddy terrain, whereupon it rocked from side to side with sufficient amplitude to result in the wingtips coming in contact with the terrain. A post-accident inspection of the engine found no anomalies that would have kept the engine from running under non-icing conditions.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N968A
- Reported as
- Piper PA-22
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 22-280
- Airframe hours
- 3,763
- Engine
- Lycoming O-290D, 125 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Judith Masura
- Registered owner
- James Masura
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 1, 2006
- Departed
- KPLU · Puyallup, WA
- Destination
- KPLU · Puyallup, WA
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
- 60
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3
- Last flight review
- January 1, 2007
- Flight hours
- 616 total · 370 in this make and model · 2 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,200 ft broken
- Temperature
- 50 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.12 inHg
- Observed at
- KTIW, 12 nm away