Cessna 172P N5488K

Summary

On 3 July 1991 at about 00:20 local time, a Cessna 172P registered N5488K, operated by Travis Aerial, Inc., was involved in an accident near El Paso, Texas, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

3 July 1991 at 00:20

Classification

Accident

Location

El Paso, Texas, United States

Coordinates

31.8006, -106.3599

Aircraft

Cessna 172P

Registration

N5488K

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Travis Aerial, Inc.

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Aerial Observation

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

White City → El Paso

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

FTW91LA115

Nobody was injured.

THE POWER LOSS DUE TO CARBURETOR ICING AND THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO USE CARBURETOR HEAT. FACTORS WERE THE ICING CONDITIONS, LACK OF SUITABLE TERRAIN FOR THE FORCED LANDING, AND THE GUSTY TAIL WIND.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE PILOT STATED THAT AS HE WAS DESCENDING AFTER CROSSING A MOUNTAIN RIDGE LINE, THE ENGINE STARTED RUNNING ROUGH AND THEN QUIT COMPLETELY. THE FAILURE OCCURRED OVER UNSUITABLE TERRAIN, HOWEVER, THE PILOT LOCATED A NARROW GRAVEL ROAD AND EXECUTED A FORCED LANDING. THE LANDING WAS MADE WITH A 13 TO 16 KNOT TAIL WIND. DURING THE LANDING ROLL THE PILOT LOST CONTROL, THE AIRPLANE VEERED LEFT, AND NOSED OVER. NO EVIDENCE OF MECHANICAL FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION WAS FOUND ON THE ENGINE. THE PILOT, IN HIS INITIAL INTERVIEW, STATED THAT HE SUSPECTED CARBURETOR ICE. A REVIEW OF THE ICING PROBABILITY CHARTS INDICATED THAT, FOR THE ATMOSPHERIC CONDITIONS THAT EXISTED, THERE WAS A THREAT OF VISIBLE CARBURETOR ICE AT BOTH RATED ENGINE POWER AND GLIDE POWER SETTINGS. TEMPERATURE AND DEW POINT WERE 77 DEGREES AND 64 DEGREES RESPECTIVELY.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.