Piper PA-28-236 N228KK

Summary

On 23 October 2010 at about 21:27 local time, a Piper PA-28-236 registered N228KK was involved in an accident near Dorrington, California, 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

23 October 2010 at 21:27

Classification

Accident

Location

Dorrington, California, United States

Coordinates

38.2806, -120.2044

Aircraft

Piper PA-28-236

Registration

N228KK

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Truckee → Borrego Valley

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

IMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR11LA025

1 person had minor injuries.

The pilot’s failure to use carburetor heat while cruising in carburetor icing conditions, which resulted in a loss of engine power.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that, while the airplane was level at 15,000 feet in instrument meteorological conditions, he failed to apply carburetor heat to the engine. After several minutes, the engine began losing power, and the airplane was not able to sustain flight. During the descent for a forced landing in mountainous terrain, the airplane descended below the cloud base about 2,000 feet above the ground, and the pilot observed a road and a clearing. During the landing rollout, the airplane impacted trees, which severed its wings. Icing probability charts indicated that carburetor ice was probable under the atmospheric conditions in which the airplane had been flying. The pilot reported that if he had applied the carburetor heat during flight, the accident likely would not have occurred.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.