Amateur-built CASSUTT accident near Louisville, Nebraska, March 28, 2016
On March 28, 2016, a 1978 amateur-built CASSUTT, registered N78RM, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Louisville, Nebraska. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's decision to operate with partial carburetor heat while operating in conditions conducive to the formation of carburetor ice, which resulted in a 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
- March 28, 2016
- Place
- Louisville, Nebraska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built CASSUTT NO SERIES, built 1978
- Registration
- N78RM · no longer on the register · serial 1978
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During a local flight, the pilot noticed the engine was running rough when he added power. He attempted to troubleshoot the problem; however, the engine continued to run rough, and the pilot performed a forced landing to a field. The landing gear collapsed, and the airplane came to rest upright. A postaccident examination of the airplane and engine found no mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported that he routinely flew with a partially-open carburetor heat setting. Since the weather conditions around the time of the accident were conducive to the formation of carburetor ice at glide and cruise power, it is likely that the partial carburetor heat setting and the lower power setting increased the engine's susceptibility to the formation of carburetor ice, resulting in the rough-running engine. When the pilot changed the throttle setting, full power was not available due to the ice formation.
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 related during enroute defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine fuel and control › Fuel control/carburetor › Incorrect use/operation
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Temp/humidity/pressure › Conducive to carburetor icing › Effect on operation
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action performance › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 525.7 hours in all; 125.6 in this make and model; 6 in the last 90 days; 461.7 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 5, 2014
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 619.4 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, October 1, 2015
- Maximum gross weight: 800 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental Motors A75-8F (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MLE Omaha NE at 11:50 pm
- Destination: MLE Omaha NE
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 310° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 45°F (7°C), dew point 23°F (-5°C)
- Altimeter: 30.05 inHg
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 July 27, 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 | Federal Aviation Administration Record of Conversation with Witness | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Record of Conversation - FAA Inspector | 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.