Stinson 108 N97592

Summary

On 4 June 2013 at about 22:00 local time, a Stinson 108 registered N97592, operated by Club Voyager LLC, was involved in an accident near Elkton, Kentucky, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 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

4 June 2013 at 22:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Elkton, Kentucky, United States

Nearest airport

Standard Field (5KY4)

Coordinates

36.8028, -87.1764

Aircraft

Stinson 108

Registration

N97592

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Club Voyager LLC

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Elkton → Russellville

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA13LA269

2 people had minor injuries.

The pilot's failure to use carburetor heat during the approach to landing, which resulted in carburetor icing and a partial loss of engine power during a subsequent initial climb.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

Following an uneventful full-stop landing, taxi back, and takeoff, the pilot continued around the airport traffic pattern and approached the runway for a second time, intending to perform a touch-and-go landing. The airplane subsequently touched down about one-third down the length of the runway. The pilot then increased engine power to full, and the airplane began to climb. As the airplane climbed, the pilot noted that the climb rate seemed to be slower than it was previously even though the engine appeared to be operating normally. The pilot continued the takeoff, but he then realized that the airplane would not be able to clear the trees, so he decided to land the airplane in a nearby field. During the landing, the airplane nosed over, resulting in substantial damage to the airframe. A postaccident examination of the engine revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. The atmospheric conditions at the time of the accident were conducive to serious carburetor icing at glide power settings. The pilot did not recall using carburetor heat during the approach to landing, and a postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the carburetor heat control was in the "off" position. Therefore, it is likely that the airplane's carburetor accumulated ice during the approach to landing, which resulted in the observed partial loss of engine power during the subsequent climb. The application of carburetor heat during the approach could have prevented any initial accumulation of carburetor ice, and application subsequent to that point may have melted any previously accumulated ice and restored engine power.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.