Accident Overview
On August 28, 2022, at 1345 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 172I, N46202, operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight, sustained substantial damage during an accident near Olivet, Michigan. The student pilot was uninjured.
Sequence of Events
The student pilot was conducting a visual final approach for a low approach. When he applied engine power to stabilize the descent, the engine did not respond. The airplane continued to descend and landed hard on the runway. Subsequently, the airplane nosed over. The resulting damage included both wings, the left wing strut, the fuselage, and the vertical stabilizer.
The pilot reported that he had applied carburetor heat for about 10 seconds when approximately one mile from the runway. There was no engine roughness during the application, after which he turned it off. Weather conditions at the time were conducive for serious carburetor icing at glide power.
Examination
A National Transportation Safety Board Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident/Incident Report Form 6120.1 was not received from the student pilot.
Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the left and right wing fuel tanks contained usable fuel. Examination of the airframe and engine found no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.