BELCHER, LA, USA
N567QL
Cessna 172K
While returning to the airport after practicing maneuvers in the local practice area, the pilot noticed a steady decrease in engine RPM. The student pilot pulled the carburetor heat out, but still noticed a continual decrease in power. After attempts to restart the engine failed, the student pilot executed a forced landing to a muddy field. Subsequently, the airplane nosed over, and came to rest inverted. The temperature and dewpoint at the time the accident were conducive to serious carburetor icing at glide power.
On November 20, 2000, at 1200 central standard time, a Cessna 172K single-engine airplane, N567QL, was substantially damaged following a forced landing in a field near Belcher, Louisiana. The student pilot, sole occupant of the airplane, was not injured. The airplane was owned and operated by Judice Aviation, L.L.C., of Shreveport, Louisiana. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a flight plan was not filed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 instructional flight. The local flight departed Shreveport Downtown Airport (DTN) approximately 45 minutes prior to the accident. According to a statement by the 33-hour student pilot, he was returning to the airport after practicing maneuvers in the local practice area. At 1,200 feet agl, the pilot noticed a steady decrease in engine RPM. After checking the throttle and mixture (full power and full rich), "[the student pilot] pulled the carburetor heat out, but still noticed a continual decrease in power, and could not maintain flight." After attempts to restart the engine failed, the student pilot executed a forced landing to a muddy field 10 miles north of DTN. Subsequently, the airplane nosed over and came to rest inverted. According to an FAA inspector, the airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing spar, and the empennage was wrinkled. At 1153, the weather observation facility located at Shreveport Downtown Airport near Shreveport, Louisiana, 10 miles southeast of the accident site, reported the sky clear, visibility 10 miles and wind from 030 degrees at 5 knots. The temperature was recorded at 52 degrees Fahrenheit, and the dewpoint at 30 degrees Fahrenheit. According to the carburetor icing probability chart obtained from the DOT/FAA/CT-82/44 Publication: Light Aircraft Piston Engine Carburetor Ice Detector/Warning Device Sensitivity/Effectiveness, dated June 1982, the weather conditions, at the time and location of the accident, were conducive to "serious carburetor icing at glide power." Multiple attempts to obtain a completed Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report (NTSB Form 6120.1/2) from the pilot were unsuccessful.
the total loss of engine power due to carburetor ice. Contributing factors were the weather conditions conducive to carburetor icing and the lack of suitable terrain available for the forced landing.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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