Cessna 182D N8814X

Summary

On 2 March 2022 at about 16:13 local time, a Cessna 182D registered N8814X, operated by Cloudstreet Flying Services, was involved in an accident near Desert Camp, California, 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

2 March 2022 at 16:13

Classification

Accident

Location

Desert Camp, California, United States

Coordinates

33.5281, -115.9674

Aircraft

Cessna 182D

Registration

N8814X

Category

Airplane

Year built

1961

Engines

1

Operator

Cloudstreet Flying Services

Operating rule

Public Use

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Thermal → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR22LA115

Nobody was injured.

The airplane’s 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 pilot reported that after takeoff, while operating in the vicinity of the Salton Sea, he leveled off about 600 ft above ground level. The wind was out of the southeast and coming off the large body of water. After flying straight and level for about 4 miles, he moved the fuel selector from the “both” position to the “right” tank position. About 4 miles later a partial loss of engine power occurred. The engine continued to operate but was unable to produce adequate power to sustain flight. The pilot made a right turn and attempted to troubleshoot the loss of power to no avail, and the engine subsequently lost total power. The pilot landed on a soft dirt field and the airplane nosed over. A postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. An engine test run was completed with no anomalies or malfunctions identified. A review of the Federal Aviation Administration Carburetor Icing Probability Chart revealed that a serious probability of carburetor icing existed while operating within the atmospheric conditions, which included a relative humidity of greater than 50 percent that was present at the time of the accident. The pilot reported applying carburetor heat after the partial loss of power, per the emergency checklist, followed by the subsequent total loss of engine power. Postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation; therefore, the loss of engine power during low altitude flight near a large body of water without the application of carburetor heat, was likely the result of carburetor icing.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.