Cessna 172 accident near Palmer, Alaska, October 13, 2019
On October 13, 2019, a 1956 Cessna 172, registered N7267A, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Palmer, 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 pilot's delayed application of carburetor heat in weather conditions conducive to carburetor icing, which resulted in a partial loss of engine power, a precautionary landing, and impact with terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 13, 2019
- Place
- Palmer, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 Undesignat, built 1956 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N7267A · no longer on the register · serial 29367
- 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, about 15 minutes after departure, the engine began to run rough and experienced a partial loss of power. He provided conflicting statements about the phase of flight when this occurred; he was either in cruise flight or was flying at a reduced power setting during a low approach to a remote site. After completing emergency engine procedures, which included applying carburetor heat, the pilot was unable to restore engine power and selected an all-terrain vehicle trail as a forced landing site. Just before touchdown, when the airplane was about 15 ft above the ground, the left wing struck a tree, and the airplane yawed left and touched down in a nose-low, off-center angle. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings and the fuselage. Postaccident examination of the engine, including a test run, revealed no evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. Weather conditions about 15 nautical miles from the accident site were conducive for carburetor icing at cruise power and serious icing at glide power. The pilot only reported applying carburetor heat to restore engine power. Therefore, it is likely that carburetor ice accumulated before he applied the heat, which resulted in a partial loss of engine power. Further, the delayed application of carburetor heat was insufficient to melt the ice and restore 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 (partial) during enroute
- Attempted remediation/recovery during enroute
- Off-field or emergency landing during landing
- Collision during takeoff/land during landing
- Nose over/nose down during landing
- Fuel related during enroute defining event
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 › Effect on equipment
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Delayed action › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Lack of action › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Tree(s) › Contributed to outcome
- Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine fuel and control › Fuel control/carburetor › Incorrect use/operation
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 190 hours in all; 144 in this make and model; 26 in the last 90 days; 11 in the last 30 days; 125 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 15, 2018
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,818.9 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 5, 2019
- Maximum gross weight: 2,299 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-300-B (piston); 2,891 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 4AK6 Palmer AK
- Destination: BCV Birchwood AK
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 41°F (5°C), dew point 27°F (-3°C)
- Altimeter: 29.96 inHg
- Observation at 11:53 pm from PAAQ, 15 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on October 9, 2020. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 10 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Engine Run Roc | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Accident Picture | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.