Summary
On July 06, 2012, a Piper PA-12 (N7779H) was involved in an incident near Quinhagak, AK. All 2 people aboard were uninjured. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this incident to be: The pilot's failure to use continuous carburetor heat while operating in conditions conducive to carburetor icing, which resulted in the development of carburetor ice and a subsequent partial loss of engine power.
In a telephone conversation with the National Transportations Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge just after the accident, the pilot stated that he was landing his tailwheel-equipped airplane at an off-airport site. During the landing roll he aborted the landing, but he was unable to clear terrain at the departure end of the site, about 400 feet from where he aborted the landing. The airplane impacted terrain, sustaining substantial damage to both wings, and the fuselage.
This incident is documented in NTSB report ANC12CA072. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N7779H.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The pilot's failure to use continuous carburetor heat while operating in conditions conducive to carburetor icing, which resulted in the development of carburetor ice and a subsequent partial loss of engine power.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Current)
Analysis
In a telephone conversation with the National Transportations Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge just after the accident, the pilot stated that he was landing his tailwheel-equipped airplane at an off-airport site. During the landing roll he aborted the landing, but he was unable to clear terrain at the departure end of the site, about 400 feet from where he aborted the landing. The airplane impacted terrain, sustaining substantial damage to both wings, and the fuselage. The pilot indicated that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
In his written statement to the NTSB, the pilot stated that the engine may not have been producing full power, but he did not realize it, or take any corrective action for application of carburetor heat.
In a telephone conversation on August 23, he said had been flying at reduced power settings during his reconnaissance passes, with occasional use of carburetor heat to clear any possible carburetor ice. He also stated that his normal before-landing procedure is to turn off the carburetor heat on short final.
According to a carburetor icing probability chart, an airplane operating in the ambient conditions at the accident site, reported by the pilot, could expect serious carburetor icing while at cruise power.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# ANC12CA072