Mathieu CASSUTT N78RM

Summary

On 28 March 2016 at about 00:10 local time, a Mathieu CASSUTT registered N78RM was involved in an accident near Louisville, Nebraska, United States. One person was on board and one was seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

28 March 2016 at 00:10

Classification

Accident

Location

Louisville, Nebraska, United States

Coordinates

40.9636, -96.1969

Aircraft

Mathieu CASSUTT

Registration

N78RM

Category

Airplane

Year built

1978

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Omaha → Omaha

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN16LA133

1 person was seriously injured.

The pilot's decision to operate with partial carburetor heat while operating in conditions conducive to the formation of carburetor ice, which resulted in a loss of engine power due to carburetor icing.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

During a local flight, the pilot noticed the engine was running rough when he added power. He attempted to troubleshoot the problem; however, the engine continued to run rough, and the pilot performed a forced landing to a field. The landing gear collapsed, and the airplane came to rest upright. A postaccident examination of the airplane and engine found no mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported that he routinely flew with a partially-open carburetor heat setting. Since the weather conditions around the time of the accident were conducive to the formation of carburetor ice at glide and cruise power, it is likely that the partial carburetor heat setting and the lower power setting increased the engine's susceptibility to the formation of carburetor ice, resulting in the rough-running engine. When the pilot changed the throttle setting, full power was not available due to the ice formation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.