Cessna 172G N4448L accident near Lakeport, California

Probable cause

The pilot’s inadequate use of carburetor heat, which resulted in a total loss of engine power shortly after takeoff due to fuel starvation as a result of carburetor ice.

NTSB analysis

The pilot was performing pattern work at the airport. After three takeoffs and landings, he taxied back to the hangar and then decided to complete another orbit in the pattern. The pilot taxied back to the run-up area and performed a run-up, which included checking the magnetos and activating the carburetor heat, both of which produced the required revolutions per minute (rpm) drop. He taxied onto the runway, added power, and as the airplane took off and began to climb, the engine lost all power. Due to the low altitude, the pilot decided to make a forced landing to an open field. During the landing sequence, the empennage was substantially damaged when it impacted a barbed wire fence and separated from the fuselage.

Weather conditions at the time of the accident were conducive to the formation of serious carburetor icing at cruise power. Carburetor ice likely formed during the extended taxi back to the pilot’s hangar and then to the run-up area before takeoff.

A postaccident examination of the airplane and engine, including an engine test run at idle speed, revealed no mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for WPR24LA154 for the full record.