Piper PA-18 N5546Z

Summary

On 12 September 2004 at about 18:00 local time, a Piper PA-18 registered N5546Z was involved in an accident near San Juan, 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

12 September 2004 at 18:00

Classification

Accident

Location

San Juan, United States

Nearest airport

Fernando Luis Ribas Dominicci (TJIG)

Coordinates

18.4567, -66.0981

Aircraft

Piper PA-18

Registration

N5546Z

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Business

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

San Juan → San Juan

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ATL04LA183

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's failure to apply carburetor heat which resulted in carburetor ice and the subsequent loss of engine power. A factor was weather conditions favorable for carburetor ice.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot completed banner tow operations and made a left climbing turn. During the climb the airplane lost engine power. The pilot was unsuccessful in restoring the engine power. The pilot maneuvered the airplane to the right towards the approach end of runway 27. The airplane, on a 120-degree magnetic heading, landed across the runway surface, rolled into the grass and collided with a fence. The pilot did not report any mechanical malfunctions with the airplane prior to the accident. Examination of the airplane revealed the wings detached, the main landing gear collapsed and damage to the engine and propeller. The examination further showed that the fuel tanks were breached but more than 12 gallons of fuel was recovered from the left tank. The examination of the engine failed to disclose anomalies. The pilot did not report using carburetor heat during the flight. The weather conditions at the time of the accident were wind 360-degrees at 8 knots, visibility 10 miles, temperature 31-degrees Celsius and dewpoint 26-degrees Celsius. The review of the icing probability curves disclose conditions favorable for the formation of carburetor ice.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.