Cessna 182 N6460A

Summary

On 1 September 2013 at about 17:00 local time, a Cessna 182 registered N6460A, operated by N6460A LLC, was involved in an accident near Boulder, Colorado, 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

1 September 2013 at 17:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Boulder, Colorado, United States

Nearest airport

Boulder Municipal (BDU)

Coordinates

39.9089, -105.1172

Aircraft

Cessna 182

Registration

N6460A

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

N6460A LLC

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Skydiving

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Boulder → Boulder

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN13LA525

1 person had minor injuries.

The pilot's failure to adequately clear carburetor icing, resulting in a loss of engine power on final approach following a descent at idle power.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that he had flown a group of skydivers to altitude for an intentional parachute jump about 3 miles north of the airport and was returning for landing at the time of the accident. The airplane was on final approach when the engine lost power. The pilot's attempts to restore engine power were unsuccessful, and he ditched the airplane into a lake short of the runway. The pilot reported using carburetor heat during the descent; however, the pilot did not periodically apply engine power (clear the engine) during the descent. According to FAA Advisory Circular 20-113, Pilot Precautions and Procedures to be Taken in Preventing Aircraft Reciprocating Engine Induction System and Fuel System Icing Problems, "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." A postaccident engine examination did not reveal any anomalies consistent with a preimpact failure or malfunction. Local weather conditions were conducive to the formation of carburetor icing.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.