Amateur-built ACRO SPORT II accident near Loudonville, Ohio, July 30, 2017
On July 30, 2017 at about 9:00 pm local time, a 1986 amateur-built ACRO SPORT II, registered N896JC, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Loudonville, Ohio. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A partial 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
- July 30, 2017 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- Loudonville, Ohio · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built ACRO SPORT II, built 1986
- Registration
- N896JC · no longer on the register · serial 689
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airline transport pilot flew his experimental, amateur-built biplane on a cross-country flight with multiple legs and refueling stops. About 1 hour, 15 minutes into the flight and 15 miles from his destination, the pilot initiated a descent from 3,500 ft to 2,500 ft. When the pilot added power to level off, the engine began to run rough and experienced a partial loss of power. The pilot said that he immediately applied carburetor heat but observed no improvement in engine operation. The engine continued to lose power and "sputter." During the subsequent forced landing, the airplane touched down on unsuitable terrain at the edge of a soybean field, decelerated rapidly, and nosed over. A postaccident examination of the wreckage revealed no preimpact anomalies that would have precluded normal operation of the engine. Nearby weather was conducive to serious icing at descent power about the time of the engine power loss. Although the pilot reported that he applied carburetor heat, it is likely that, at the time of application, the ice had already accumulated in the carburetor to the extent that the carburetor heat was insufficient to melt the ice and restore full engine 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 defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Nose over/nose down during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Temp/humidity/pressure › Conducive to carburetor icing › Contributed to outcome
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Rough terrain › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 14,500 hours in all; 24.2 in this make and model; 141.8 in the last 90 days; 80 in the last 30 days; 4,000 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 19, 2017
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rear
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: condition inspection, July 7, 2017
- Maximum gross weight: 1,520 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A3A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SMD Fort Wayne IN
- Destination: 10G Millersburg OH
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 340° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 59°F (15°C)
- Altimeter: 30.17 inHg
- Observation at 8:52 pm from KMFD, 19 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
6 documents, released by the NTSB on November 6, 2017. 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, 8 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Memorandum for Record – Communication Summary Insp. Yerace, Cle Fsdo | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Witness Statement - Fueling | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Weather Reports and Records | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Miscellaneous Information - Carb Icing Chart | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Miscellaneous Information - Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge Excerpt | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under N896JC the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.