Cessna 175 accident near Sugar Creek, Ohio, August 31, 2011
On August 31, 2011 at about 1:48 am local time, a Cessna 175, registered N7103M, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Sugar Creek, Ohio. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were 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 while operating in conditions conducive to carburetor icing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 31, 2011 · about 1:48 am local time
- Place
- Sugar Creek, Ohio · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 175 · all 175s on the register
- Registration
- N7103M · no longer on the register · serial 55403
- 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 airplane's engine began to run rough during level flight, with about a 70 percent power setting. He switched fuel tanks and applied carburetor heat, but the airplane's engine continued to run rough. The pilot initiated a forced landing to a cornfield during night light conditions. Postaccident examinations of the airplane revealed that the firewall was buckled. No anomalies were found with regard to the airplane, engine, or systems during the postaccident examinations. According to the Federal Aviation Administration icing probability chart, the airplane was operating in conditions conducive to carburetor icing at the time of the accident.
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 (cruise) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Temp/humidity/pressure › Conducive to carburetor icing › Contributed to outcome
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Delayed action › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 79 hours in all; 79 in this make and model; 9 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days; 23 as pilot in command; 0 on instruments
- Last flight review: April 21, 2011
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,955 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 18, 2011; 36 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,350 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor GO-300 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PHD New Philadelphi OH at 7:40 pm
- Destination: PHD New Philadelphi OH
- Flight plan: not recorded
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 30.12 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.