Bellanca 7ECA accident near Kenai, Alaska, November 4, 2012
On November 4, 2012 at about 4:30 pm local time, a Bellanca 7ECA, registered N31281, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Kenai, Alaska. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The loss of engine power due to carburetor icing and the pilot's failure to apply carburetor heat when he reduced engine power.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 4, 2012 · about 4:30 pm local time
- Place
- Kenai, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bellanca 7ECA · all 7ECAs on the register
- Registration
- N31281 · registry record · serial 888-72
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that the accident flight was a test flight after a recent annual inspection during which two engine cylinders were replaced. After he completed a preflight inspection, which included preheating the airplane, the pilot started the engine and allowed it to run for 45 minutes on the ground. After the ground run was complete, he inspected the engine for oil leaks before departure, and none were found. After takeoff, the pilot said he climbed the airplane to 900 feet above the ground, and as he leveled off, all engine power was lost. In an attempt to restart the engine, he applied carburetor heat and switched fuel tanks, but he was unable to restore engine power, and he selected an area of rough and uneven terrain as a forced landing site. During touchdown, the airplane sustained substantial damage to the empennage and fuselage. A postaccident examination revealed no evidence of preimpact mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. During a subsequent engine run, the engine started and ran normally. According to a Federal Aviation Administration carburetor icing chart, given the temperature and dew point at the time of the accident, carburetor ice was likely at glide and cruise power settings. It is likely that, as the pilot leveled off and reduced engine power, carburetor icing formed, causing the engine to lose power.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Loss of engine power (total) during initial climb defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Temp/humidity/pressure › Conducive to carburetor icing › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 7,600 hours in all; 93 in this make and model; 44 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days; 7,600 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: March 23, 2011
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,338 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 13, 2012
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PAEN Kenai AK at 5:15 pm
- Destination: Kenai AK
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 050° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 28°F (-2°C), dew point 18°F (-8°C)
- Altimeter: 29.37 inHg
- Observation at 3:53 pm from PAEN
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.