Piper PA-28-181 N4008Q

Summary

On 24 June 2023 at about 14:30 local time, a Piper PA-28-181 registered N4008Q was involved in an accident near Howell, Michigan, United States. 2 people were 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

24 June 2023 at 14:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Howell, Michigan, United States

Nearest airport

Livingston County Spencer J Ha (OZW)

Coordinates

42.6235, -83.9718

Aircraft

Piper PA-28-181

Registration

N4008Q

Category

Airplane

Year built

1977

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN23LA266

Nobody was injured.

A loss of engine power due to the formation of carburetor ice that resulted from the pilot’s delayed use of 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 during a local flight, while in the traffic pattern, the airplane’s engine power decreased to 900 rpm. He attempted to restore engine power but was unsuccessful and attempted to make a forced landing to the runway. He landed on the grass about 1,000 ft short of the runway surface, bounced, and impacted the localizer antenna. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and both wings. Postaccident examination of the engine and fuel systems revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. The weather conditions at the time of the accident were conducive to a serious accumulation of carburetor ice at glide power. The pilot reported that he used carburetor heat while attempting to restore engine power, but not before he made his descent in the traffic pattern and the loss of engine power. Based on the available information, the loss of engine power was likely due to carburetor ice accumulation. Additionally, the low altitude at which the loss of engine power occurred significantly reduced the amount of time available to the pilot to troubleshoot and restore engine power before the forced landing.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.