Stinson 108 N97592 accident near Elkton, Kentucky

Probable cause

The pilot's failure to use carburetor heat during the approach to landing, which resulted in carburetor icing and a partial loss of engine power during a subsequent initial climb.

NTSB analysis

Following an uneventful full-stop landing, taxi back, and takeoff, the pilot continued around the airport traffic pattern and approached the runway for a second time, intending to perform a touch-and-go landing. The airplane subsequently touched down about one-third down the length of the runway. The pilot then increased engine power to full, and the airplane began to climb. As the airplane climbed, the pilot noted that the climb rate seemed to be slower than it was previously even though the engine appeared to be operating normally. The pilot continued the takeoff, but he then realized that the airplane would not be able to clear the trees, so he decided to land the airplane in a nearby field. During the landing, the airplane nosed over, resulting in substantial damage to the airframe. A postaccident examination of the engine revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.

The atmospheric conditions at the time of the accident were conducive to serious carburetor icing at glide power settings. The pilot did not recall using carburetor heat during the approach to landing, and a postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the carburetor heat control was in the "off" position. Therefore, it is likely that the airplane's carburetor accumulated ice during the approach to landing, which resulted in the observed partial loss of engine power during the subsequent climb. The application of carburetor heat during the approach could have prevented any initial accumulation of carburetor ice, and application subsequent to that point may have melted any previously accumulated ice and restored engine power.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA13LA269 for the full record.