Steele ACRO SPORT II N896JC

Summary

On 30 July 2017 at about 21:00 local time, a Steele ACRO SPORT II registered N896JC was involved in an accident near Loudonville, Ohio, United States. 2 people were 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

30 July 2017 at 21:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Loudonville, Ohio, United States

Coordinates

40.6328, -82.1769

Aircraft

Steele ACRO SPORT II

Registration

N896JC

Category

Airplane

Year built

1986

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Fort Wayne → Millersburg

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN17LA295

1 person had minor injuries.

A partial 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

The airline transport pilot flew his experimental, amateur-built biplane on a cross-country flight with multiple legs and refueling stops. About 1 hour, 15 minutes into the flight and 15 miles from his destination, the pilot initiated a descent from 3,500 ft to 2,500 ft. When the pilot added power to level off, the engine began to run rough and experienced a partial loss of power. The pilot said that he immediately applied carburetor heat but observed no improvement in engine operation. The engine continued to lose power and "sputter." During the subsequent forced landing, the airplane touched down on unsuitable terrain at the edge of a soybean field, decelerated rapidly, and nosed over. A postaccident examination of the wreckage revealed no preimpact anomalies that would have precluded normal operation of the engine. Nearby weather was conducive to serious icing at descent power about the time of the engine power loss. Although the pilot reported that he applied carburetor heat, it is likely that, at the time of application, the ice had already accumulated in the carburetor to the extent that the carburetor heat was insufficient to melt the ice and restore full engine power.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.