Piper PA-28-160 N5946W

Summary

On 11 March 2005 at about 19:00 local time, a Piper PA-28-160 registered N5946W was involved in an accident near Cameron, West Virginia, United States. One person was on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

11 March 2005 at 19:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Cameron, West Virginia, United States

Coordinates

39.7564, -80.5592

Aircraft

Piper PA-28-160

Registration

N5946W

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Wapakoneta → Oakland

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

NYC05LA059

1 person had minor injuries.

A loss of engine power due to carburetor icing, which resulted in a forced landing. A factor in this accident was the carburetor icing conditions.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported he had been flying for about 1.5 hours, and was at an altitude of about 1,300 feet, when he encountered snow flurries. He then experienced an engine vibration and drop in RPM, which continued to worsen despite the application of carburetor heat. The pilot elected to perform a 180-degree turn toward an airport that was located about 10 miles from his position. The airplane was not able to maintain altitude, and the pilot performed a forced landing to a field. Examination of the airplane did not reveal any pre-impact mechanical malfunctions; however, it was noted that the spark plugs were very sooted. The weather reported at an airport that was located about 29 miles north of the accident site, included a visibility of 2.5 miles with light snow and mist, scattered clouds at 800 feet, a broken ceiling at 2,200 feet, and a temperature and dew point of 31 and 28 degrees Fahrenheit; respectively. Review of a carburetor icing probability chart, placed the reported temperature and dew point in the "moderate icing at cruise power or serious icing at glide power range. "

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.