Cessna 170B accident near Ingleside, Texas, January 3, 2016
On January 3, 2016 at about 8:45 pm local time, a 1953 Cessna 170B, registered N3035A, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Ingleside, Texas. 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 loss of engine power during takeoff due to carburetor icing, which resulted in a forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 3, 2016 · about 8:45 pm local time
- Place
- Ingleside, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 170B, built 1953 · all 170Bs on the register
- Registration
- N3035A · no longer on the register · serial 25679
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot reported that the engine cylinders had been replaced before the accident flight and that the purpose of the flight was to continue a cylinder break-in period. The engine run-up and propeller check were completed during the taxi to the runway to keep the ground run-up to a minimum. After engine start, no anomalies were noted. The pilot stated that the break-in procedures called for lower cylinder head temperatures and less than full power at the beginning of takeoff. After the airplane took off and reached about 100 ft above ground level (agl), the pilot slowly reduced rpm and the manifold pressure to about 65 percent power. At 200 ft agl, the engine lost partial power. The engine briefly regained some power, but it then lost power again. The pilot executed a forced landing in mesquite tree-covered terrain. A postaccident examination and functional test of the engine revealed no anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot stated that he believed the engine lost power due to carburetor ice, and the weather conditions at the time of the accident were conducive to serious carburetor icing at cruise power. It is likely that the engine lost power due to carburetor icing.
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
- Fuel starvation during takeoff defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Temp/humidity/pressure › Conducive to carburetor icing › Effect on equipment
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Tree(s) › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,000 hours in all; 750 in this make and model; 5 in the last 90 days; 2,000 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 1, 2014
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,043 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 1, 2015
- Maximum gross weight: 1,451 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A1A (piston); 1,983 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: TFP Ingleside TX at 8:40 pm
- Destination: TFP Ingleside TX
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 310° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 4,800 ft; clear
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.23 inHg
- Observation at 9:35 pm from TFP, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on March 29, 2016. 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, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | FAA Carburetor Ice Chart | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Engine Break-in Procedures | 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.