Cessna 182A accident near Lexington, Texas, February 9, 2014
On February 9, 2014 at about 11:00 pm local time, a 1957 Cessna 182A, registered N6061B, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach (VFR pattern final) near Lexington, Texas (Lexington Airfield). It was a skydiving 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 improper use of the carburetor heat, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to carburetor icing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 9, 2014 · about 11:00 pm local time
- Place
- Lexington, Texas · Lexington Airfield · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182A A, built 1957 · all 182As on the register
- Registration
- N6061B · no longer on the register · serial 34061
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Skydiving flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that, during the descent, he applied carburetor heat but that he then removed carburetor heat when leveling off. The pilot reduced the throttle to slow the airplane while on final approach. When he advanced the throttle to maintain airspeed, the engine power did not increase; the pilot was unable to restore full engine power. The engine subsequently lost all power when the pilot applied carburetor heat. During the forced landing to a field, the nose landing gear and propeller contacted a barbed wire fence, and the airplane then nosed down, impacted the ground, and nosed over. A postaccident examination revealed no mechanical failures that would have resulted in the loss of engine power. The atmospheric conditions at the time of the accident were conducive to the formation of serious carburetor icing at glide power. It is likely that carburetor ice developed after the pilot reduced the engine power/closed the throttle while in the traffic pattern without applying carburetor heat, which resulted in a loss of engine power. The manufacturer's before landing checklist states to apply carburetor heat before closing the throttle.
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 approach (VFR pattern final) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during approach (VFR pattern final)
- Nose over/nose down
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Temp/humidity/pressure › Conducive to carburetor icing › Effect on equipment
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,573 hours in all; 572 in this make and model; 290 in the last 90 days; 92 in the last 30 days; 1,382 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: November 13, 2010
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,636 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, November 13, 2013; 50 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,348 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor O-470L (piston); 0 hours total
- Not recorded
- Operator: Austin Skydiving Center INC
The flight
- Departed from: TE75 Lexington TX at 10:45 pm
- Destination: TE75 Lexington TX
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 29.98 inHg
- Observation at 10:55 pm from GYB, 16 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
6 documents, released by the NTSB on March 14, 2014. 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, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Record of Conversation - Pilot | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Email - FAA | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Weather Information | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Carburetor Icing Probablity Chart | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | C-182A Owner's Manual Excerpt | PDF, 2 pages | 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.