Carb ice brings down Stinson

The pilot of the Stinson 108 was practicing takeoffs and landings at Elkton, Ky. He landed, then taxied back for another lap in the pattern. This time he chose to do a touch and go.

The plane landed on the first third of the runway, then he applied full power for takeoff.

The plane did not climb as fast as it had previously, although the engine appeared to be operating normally. The pilot realized that the plane would not be able to clear the trees at the end of the runway, so he swerved to miss them and made an emergency landing in a nearby field.

During the landing, the plane nosed over, resulting in substantial damage to the airframe and minor injuries to the pilot and his passenger.

During the accident investigation it was determined that, at the time of the accident, conditions were conducive to serious carburetor icing at glide power settings. The pilot did not recall using carburetor heat during the approach to landing, and a post-accident examination revealed that the carburetor heat control was in the “off” position.

Investigators determined that it is likely that the carburetor accumulated ice during the approach to landing, which resulted in the partial loss of engine power during the subsequent climb.

The application of carburetor heat during the approach could have prevented any initial accumulation of carburetor ice, and application after that may have melted any previously accumulated ice and restored engine power.

The NTSB determined the probable cause as the pilot’s failure to use carburetor heat during the approach to landing, which resulted in carburetor icing and a partial loss of engine power during a subsequent initial climb.

NTSB Identification: ERA13LA269

This June 2015 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others.