Cessna 172C N1860Y

Summary

On 18 July 2001 at about 16:05 local time, a Cessna 172C registered N1860Y was involved in an accident near Grand Island, Nebraska, 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

18 July 2001 at 16:05

Classification

Accident

Location

Grand Island, Nebraska, United States

Coordinates

40.9491, -98.2891

Aircraft

Cessna 172C

Registration

N1860Y

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Lincoln → Grand Island

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

NTSB number

CHI01LA219

Nobody was injured.

The procedures for using carburetor heat not followed by the student pilot and the unsuitable terrain encountered during the forced landing. Additional factors included the carburetor icing conditions, the carburetor icing, the student pilot's lack of experience, and the crop.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airplane had a loss of engine power and sustained substantial damaged during a forced landing to a cornfield. The student pilot initiated a descent from 6,500 feet msl about 10 miles from the destination airport. He reported he contacted the tower and, "Soon thereafter the engine sputtered and stopped." The student pilot attempted an engine air start but was unsuccessful. He reported he was unable to land at the airport. At 400 feet agl, he saw power lines running north and south so he turned north to avoid the power lines and landed cross row in a cornfield. During the landing roll, the airplane started to nose over and then "cart wheeled" and came to rest on its main landing gear. There were no preexisting anomalies to the airframe or engine. The engine was test run and it started without hesitation. The 1056 observed weather at GRI was: wind 130 degrees at 6 knots, sky clear, visibility 10 miles, temperature 29 degrees C, dew point 20 degrees C, altimeter 29.87. According to the Transport Canada "Carburetor Icing Graph", the existing weather conditions at GRI were in the region of "Serious icing - descent power." The FAA issued Advisory Circular (AC) 20-113, "Pilot Precautions and Procedures To Be Taken In Preventing Aircraft Reciprocating Engine Induction System and Fuel System Icing Problems." The AC stated, "...the pilot should regularly use heat under conditions known to be conducive to atmospheric icing..." in order to prevent accidents due to induction system icing. One of the procedures to reduce the likelihood of induction system icing stated, "Heat should be applied for a short time to warm the induction system before beginning a prolonged descent with the engine throttled and left on during the descent. Power lever advancement should be performed periodically during descent to assure that power recovery can be achieved. The pilot should be prepared to turn heat off after power is regained to resume level flight or initiate a go-around from an abandoned approach." The student pilot had a total of 41 hours of flight time.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.