- Date
- May 14, 2014, 17:20 local (May 15, 2014, 00:20 UTC)
- Place
- Hayden, ID
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N176WWAviat A 1B
- Defining event
- Approach-VFR pattern base: Loss of engine power (partial)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 2, 2014
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20140514007509A
- Case key
- 89212
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
A partial loss of engine power due to encounter with weather conditions conducive to carburetor icing. Contributing the accident was the pilot's inadequate weather planning.
Findings · 4
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The amphibious airplane was en route to its destination; at time of arrival the temperature was 75 degrees F and the dew point was 43 degrees F. These conditions were conducive to serious carburetor icing at glide power. The pilot stated upon entering the base leg he reduced power and began the descent for landing. While descending he reapplied power to which the engine was unresponsive. Actions by the pilot to restore power were unsuccessful and he initiated an off airport forced landing to a grass field northeast of the airport. Due to insufficient altitude the airplane struck a vehicle before the airplane stalled and impacted the ground. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing and left wing lift strut. The pilot stated he was unsure whether there were any mechanical malfunctions with the engine but did believe the loss of power resulted from carburetor icing. A postaccident engine examination revealed no evidence of preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the engine which would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The amphibious airplane was en route to its destination; at time of arrival the temperature was 75 degrees F and the dew point was 43 degrees F. These conditions were conducive to serious carburetor icing at glide power. The pilot stated upon entering the base leg he reduced power and began the descent for landing. While descending he reapplied power to which the engine was unresponsive. Actions by the pilot to restore power were unsuccessful and he initiated an off airport forced landing to a grass field northeast of the airport. Due to insufficient altitude the airplane struck a vehicle before the airplane stalled and impacted the ground. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing and left wing lift strut. The pilot stated he was unsure whether there were any mechanical malfunctions with the engine but did believe the loss of power resulted from carburetor icing. A postaccident engine examination revealed no evidence of preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the engine which would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N176WW
- Reported as
- Aviat A 1B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 2377
- Built
- 2006
- Airframe hours
- 346
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A1P, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 20, 2013
- Departed
- SFF · Spokane, WA
- Destination
- KCOE · Coeur D'Alene, ID
- Airport
- COE · Coeur D'Alene - Pappy Boyingto, runway 20, 5,400 × 75 ft, asphalt
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
- 73
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- September 20, 2012
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 3,240 total · 300 in this make and model · 3,240 as pilot in command · 20 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days · 1.5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 43 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.22 inHg
- Icing
- Unknown
- Observed at
- KCOE, 1 nm away
Docket · 5
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 13, 2014, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 6.4 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.