POTEAU, OK, USA
N7617X
CESSNA 172B
THE FLIGHT WAS AT CRUISE POWER AT 3,000 FEET MSL FOR 1.1 HOURS WHEN A POWER LOSS OCCURRED. THE PILOT PUSHED THE MIXTURE IN AND APPLIED CARBURETOR HEAT. POWER WAS NOT RESTORED TO THE ENGINE. A FORCED LANDING WAS MADE TO A FIELD. DURING THE LANDING ROLL IN THE ROUGH AND UNEVEN TERRAIN, THE AIRPLANE HIT FENCES AND POSTS. TEMPERATURE WAS 80 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT AND DEW POINT WAS 60 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT. THE ICING PROBABILITY CHART INDICATES MODERATE ICING AT CRUISE POWER.
On September 28, 1994, at 1236 central daylight time, a Cessna 172B, N7617X, was substantially damaged during a forced landing near Poteau, Oklahoma. The airplane was flown by a private pilot on a local personal flight. No flight plan was filed and visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The pilot was uninjured. According to the enclosed Pilot/Operator report, the flight had been airborne for 1.1 hours at 3,000 feet MSL. The engine "sputtered" and the pilot applied mixture and carburetor heat. The fuel selector was switched from one tank to the other. When the airplane had descended to 1,200 feet MSL, the pilot notified Ft. Smith Approach Control that he was not able to get the engine restarted and was going to land the airplane in a field. During the landing roll the airplane went through two fences and the wings struck fence posts. Damage occurred to the left wing spar and right wing strut. Local authorities reported the airplane landed in an uneven pasture. During the landing roll, the airplane traveled 168 feet before hitting the first fence and an additional 198 feet before coming to rest. Weather was reported by the pilot as 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Dew point in the area was reported by FSS as 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Carburetor moderate icing conditions at cruise power are favorable according to the enclosed chart. The owner reported fuel in the tanks during the recovery of the wreckage. No mechanical discrepancies were reported by the owner.
THE LOSS OF ENGINE POWER DUE TO THE PILOT'S DELAYED USE OF CARBURETOR HEAT AND THE RESULTANT CARBURETOR ICING. FACTORS WERE THE WEATHER CONDITION AND THE LACK OF SUITABLE TERRAIN FOR THE FORCED LANDING.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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