17 Sep 2024: CESSNA 172N — GREGG FLYING SERVICE INC

17 Sep 2024: CESSNA 172N (N739JU) — GREGG FLYING SERVICE INC

No fatalities • Arboles, CO, United States

Probable cause

A loss of engine power due to carburetor ice.

— NTSB Determination

Accident narrative

On September 17, 2024, about 1055 mountain daylight time, a Cessna 172N, N739JU, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Arobles, Colorado. The pilot sustained minor injuries, and the passenger was seriously injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The pilot was taking a friend on a local flight when, about 1,800 ft above ground level, the airplane flew into an area of light rain. The pilot applied carburetor heat as a precaution. Despite having the carburetor heat engaged while the airplane flew in the rain, the engine began to run rough and lose power. The pilot turned the carburetor heat on and off a few times because they were not sure if the introduction of the carburetor heat was making the situation worse. The pilot also completed the checklist for engine roughness. Unable to clear up the engine roughness and unable to maintain airplane altitude, the pilot initiated an off airport forced landing, and the airplane fuselage and right wing sustained substantial damage when it impacted trees and terrain. The pilot estimated that the flight departed with a 26-gallon fuel load. The accident occurred about 35 minutes after departure, and according to airplane performance charts, the airplane’s expected fuel consumption rate was 5 to 8.5 gallons per hour. After the accident, ample fuel was drained from the wing tanks before the wreckage was recovered; however, the amount of fuel drained was not documented. The recorded temperature and dew point near the accident site were conducive to “serious icing” at cruise engine power settings. The pilot stated that the carburetor heat was working properly when checked before departure. According to FAA Advisory Circular 20-113, "To prevent accident due to induction system icing, the pilot should regularly use [carburetor] heat under conditions known to be conducive to atmospheric icing and be alert at all times for indications of icing in the fuel system." The circular recommended that when operating in conditions where the relative humidity is greater than 50 percent, "…apply carburetor heat briefly immediately before takeoff, particularly with float type carburetors, to remove any ice which may have been accumulated during taxi and runup." It also stated, "Remain alert for indications of induction system icing during takeoff and climb-out, especially when the relative humidity is above 50 percent, or when visible moisture is present in the atmosphere."

Contributing factors

  • Effect on equipment

Conditions

Weather
VMC, vis 4sm

Loading the flight search…

What you can do on Flight Finder

  • Search flights between any two airports with live fares.
  • By aircraft — pick a plane model (e.g. Boeing 787, Airbus A350) and see every route it flies from your origin.
  • Route map — click any airport worldwide to explore its destinations, or draw a radius to find nearby airports.
  • Global aviation safety — aviation accident database, 5,200+ records since 1980, with map and rankings by aircraft and operator.
  • NTSB safety feed — recent U.S. aviation accidents and incidents from the official NTSB CAROL database, updated daily.

Frequently asked questions

How do I search flights by aircraft type on FlightFinder?

Pick an aircraft model — Boeing 737, Airbus A320, A380, Boeing 787 Dreamliner and more — enter your origin airport, and FlightFinder shows every route that plane flies from there with live fares.

Which aircraft types can I filter by?

We support Boeing 737/747/757/767/777/787, the full Airbus A220/A319/A320/A321/A330/A340/A350/A380 family, Embraer E170/E175/E190/E195, Bombardier CRJ and Dash 8, and the ATR 42/72 turboprops.

Is FlightFinder free to use?

Search and schedules are free. Pro ($4.99/month, $39/year, or $99 one-time lifetime) unlocks the enriched flight card — on-time stats, CO₂ per passenger, amenities, live gate & weather — plus My Trips with push alerts.

Where does the route data come from?

Live schedules come from Amadeus, AeroDataBox and Travelpayouts. Observed routes (which aircraft actually flew a given city pair) are crowdsourced from adsb.lol ADS-B data under the Open Database License.