Probable cause
The partial loss of engine power for undetermined reasons.
NTSB analysis
The student pilot stated that he was in the traffic pattern practicing touch-and-go landings. As he turned base, the engine went to idle, and he made an emergency landing in a field. The carburetor heat was in use at the time of engine failure. Examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector revealed that the flight control system components, engine, and system components revealed no evidence of preimpact mechanical malfunction. The current ambient temperature was 75 degrees Fahrenheit, with a dew point of 55 degrees Fahrenheit. Review of the carburetor icing probability chart revealed that serious carburetor icing could occur at glide power.
Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA09LA379 for the full record.
Event
- Date
- Jul 4, 2009
- Type
- Accident
- Place
- Princeton, New Jersey
- Nearest airport
- Princeton Airport (39N)
- Highest injury
- None
- Weather
- Visual (VMC)
- Light
- Day
Cessna 172M
- N-number
- N64178
- Category
- Airplane
- Damage
- Substantial
- Operating rule
- Part 91 (general aviation)
- Purpose of flight
- Instructional
From the NTSB aviation accident database: N-registered aircraft, events since 2008, data through Oct 28, 2026. The file is published monthly, so the latest weeks are incomplete and recent records can change. The official source is the NTSB aviation investigation search. CheckAero is independent and not affiliated with the NTSB.