Cessna 150 N60579

Summary

On 21 May 2017 at about 13:45 local time, a Cessna 150 registered N60579 was involved in an accident near Zepp, Virginia, 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

21 May 2017 at 13:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Zepp, Virginia, United States

Coordinates

39.0397, -78.5558

Aircraft

Cessna 150

Registration

N60579

Category

Airplane

Year built

1969

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Cumberland → New Market

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

GAA17CA306

1 person had minor injuries.

A partial loss of engine power due to the formation of carburetor icing, which resulted from the student pilot’s failure to apply carburetor heat and the flight instructor’s delayed response in applying carburetor heat while operating in conditions conducive to carburetor icing. 

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The flight instructor reported that, during a long cross-country flight, they encountered deteriorating weather conditions, and to remain visual flight rules, he altered course and destination. En route and while approaching a ridge line, he "noticed that [the airplane's] airspeed started to drop toward 65 miles an hour." He added that "[he] thought that maybe [the airplane was] picking up carburetor ice and [he] reached for the carburetor heat and pulled it out." The student pilot reported that, after the flight instructor stated, "watch your airspeed," he looked at the rpm gauge and noted that it was indicating 1,800 to 1,900 rpm. He added that the flight instructor took over the flight controls and that the airplane then impacted the top of a ridge. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing. Atmospheric conditions reported at the time of the accident around the accident site were conducive to serious icing at cruise power. It is likely that carburetor ice accumulated due to the student pilot's failure to apply carburetor heat and the flight instructor's delayed application of carburetor heat, which resulted in a partial loss of engine power.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.