Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The pilot's decision to land the airplane with a tailwind, which led to a runway excursion. Contributing to the pilot's decision to land with a tailwind was a partial loss of engine power due to his failure to effectively use carburetor heat in conditions conducive to the formation of carburetor ice.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Historical)
Analysis
On March 23, 2018, about 1800 central daylight time, a Cessna 180K, N77NP, was substantially damaged during a forced landing following a partial loss of engine power near Canton, Mississippi. The private pilot was not injured. The privately-owned airplane was operated under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident and no flight plan was filed for the local flight that departed from a private airstrip.According to the pilot, while returning to the private airstrip, after a 20-minute flight over a river at 2,000 ft mean sea level (msl), the engine began accumulating carburetor ice and began to run "very rough." The pilot applied carburetor heat, but the engine continued to run rough. Since he was near the private airstrip he intended to land at, the pilot attempted to land with about 5 to 7 knots of tailwind. The airplane continued beyond the departure end of the runway and impacted trees before to coming to rest in the upright position.
A Federal Aviation Administration inspector conducted an examination of the airplane after the accident and found that the wings, vertical stabilizer, rudder, and fuselage were substantially damaged. The engine remained attached to the airframe and the propeller remained attached to the engine. In addition, an unmeasured amount of fuel was noted in the fuel tanks.
In the NTSB Pilot/Operator Accident Report, the pilot indicated that there were no failures or malfunctions of the airplane that would have precluded normal operation prior to the accident.
The 1753 recorded weather observation at Hawkins Field Airport (HKS), Jackson, Mississippi, located about 18 nautical miles southwest of the accident location, included wind from 190° at 9 knots, visibility 10 miles, scattered clouds at 8,500 ft agl, temperature 24°C, dew point 4°C, and an altimeter setting of 30.10 inches of mercury.
The carburetor icing probability chart from Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB): CE-09-35 Carburetor Icing Prevention, June 30, 2009, showed a probability of icing at cruise/glide power at the temperature and dew point reported at the time of the accident.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# ERA18LA115