Piper PA28 N3631K

Summary

On 18 October 2018 at about 18:05 local time, a Piper PA28 registered N3631K was involved in an accident near Plant City, Florida, 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

18 October 2018 at 18:05

Classification

Accident

Location

Plant City, Florida, United States

Nearest airport

Plant City (PCM)

Coordinates

28.0003, -82.1633

Aircraft

Piper PA28

Registration

N3631K

Category

Airplane

Year built

1967

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Plant City → Plant City

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA19LA021

1 person had minor injuries.

The pilot’s failure to utilize carburetor heat in conditions conducive to the formation of carburetor icing, which resulted in a total loss of engine 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 was practicing flight maneuvers before returning to the departure airport. As he approached the airport, he entered on the downwind leg of the traffic pattern for a touch-and-go landing. After the touch-and-go landing, while the airplane was climbing out and accelerating, the engine began to “sputtering” several times and then lost power completely. The pilot performed a forced landing to trees below and the airplane’s wings and fuselage were substantially damaged. Postaccident examination of the engine did not reveal evidence of any mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. Based on the pilot’s description of the fuel onboard at the time he departed, and the duration of the flight, sufficient fuel should have been available when the loss of engine power occurred. The pilot also reported that at the time of the loss of engine power, the carburetor heat was off. He did not report activating it prior to or following the time the engine began losing power. The temperature and dew point at the time of the accident was conducive to the formation of carburetor icing. Given this information, it is likely that the loss of engine power was due to the formation of carburetor ice during the approach to landing and subsequent takeoff.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.