Christen A-1 N9609H

Summary

On 1 July 2021 at about 02:45 local time, a Christen A-1 registered N9609H, operated by Marc A Williams, was involved in an accident near Twin Falls, Idaho, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

1 July 2021 at 02:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Twin Falls, Idaho, United States

Coordinates

42.3900, -114.5700

Aircraft

Christen A-1

Registration

N9609H

Category

Airplane

Year built

1990

Engines

1

Operator

Marc A Williams

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Hollister → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Dusk

NTSB number

WPR21LA264

Nobody was injured.

Partial loss of engine power during a low pass, due to carburetor icing and the pilot’s failure to use carburetor heat during the landing approach.

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 basic flight maneuvers at an altitude of about 3,500 ft agl during a short uneventful local flight. He then reduced engine power to idle and initiated a descent back to the private dirt airstrip with the intention of first performing a low pass to confirm the runway was clear, and then landing. As he flew past the runway, he applied full throttle, but the engine did not respond. He then performed a forced landing into an adjacent wheat field, where the airplane nosed over during the ground roll. The pilot stated that he had not used a checklist during the descent and forgot to apply carburetor heat. The wing lift struts, and the vertical stabilizer were substantially damaged. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane or engine that would have precluded normal operation. The carburetor icing chart from FAA Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin CE-09-35 “Carburetor Icing Prevention” indicated a potential for serious icing at glide power for the temperature and dew point depicted at the time of the accident.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.