On March 31, 1996, a Cessna 150L (registration N5266Q) operated by American Aero Flying Club was involved in an aviation accident near Sacramento, CA. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: A loss of engine power due to carburetor ice and the student's failure to use carburetor heat. The carburetor icing (weather) condition was a related factor. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive; 1 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.
During a solo cross-country flight, a pilot reported losing power and landed in a marsh, resulting in the aircraft nosing over after hitting soft mud. Examination found no airworthiness discrepancies, and an engine test run was satisfactory.
Incident Details
During the final leg of a solo cross-country flight, the pilot reported to TRACON controllers that he was losing power and going down. The aircraft subsequently landed in a marsh area and nosed over after the landing gear encountered soft mud. The recording hour meter on board showed the aircraft had flown 4.6 hours since departing on the multiple-stop round-robin flight.
Examination and Testing
FAA inspectors performed a preliminary examination during the recovery operation and found the fuel system intact. No evidence of a fuel spill was noted under the airplane; however, an odor of fuel was detected from the ground. Just over 3 pints of fuel was drained from the fuel system. An analysis of flight manual performance charts revealed that the aircraft should have had sufficient fuel to complete the trip. Following recovery, a test run of the engine was conducted using the existing airframe plumbing and electrical systems. The engine started and operated satisfactorily. A detailed examination of the aircraft disclosed no airworthiness discrepancies.
Meteorological Conditions
The closest official weather observation station to the accident site was 5 miles east; it was reporting a temperature and dew point of 74 and 47 degrees Fahrenheit, respectively. According to a carburetor icing probability chart, the temperature/dew point spread fell in a region annotated 'moderate icing --- cruise power or serious icing --- glide power.'