Primary finding
Probable cause
The pilot's improper use of carburetor heat, which resulted in a partial loss of engine power. Factors were the carburetor icing conditions, and the soft terrain at the forced landing site.
Investigator assessment
Analysis narrative
The private pilot was at the completion of a cross country flight. About 11 miles from his destination airport, the engine slowly lost power, dropping to about 1,800 rpm. He applied carburetor heat, checked the tanks, and applied full throttle. The engine did not respond. Unable to maintain altitude, he force landed in a landfill. The aircraft nosed over in soft terrain. The aircraft was examined following the accident. The carburetor heat knob was in the off position. The wing tanks contained fuel. The fuel lines and vents were not obstructed. The engine was test run after the accident, no evidence of mechanical malfunction or failure was found. Weather conditions at the time were conducive to the formation of carburetor ice, according to icing probability charts
Source record
Factual narrative
On June 6, 1993, at about 0915 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 172D, N50000, collided with terrain following a forced landing attempt near Ridgeland, South Carolina. The private pilot had serious injuries. The aircraft was destroyed. The aircraft was owned by the pilot, and the flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions existed at the time, and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight to Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. The flight originated in Anderson, South Carolina at an undetermined time. The pilot reported to local law enforcement personnel that the engine lost power during flight. A witness reported that the engine was sputtering, and that aircraft was gliding toward the city landfill. The aircraft crashed on the landfill property. The wreckage was found inverted, about 20 feet from the point of initial ground impact. -