Amateur-built HATZ/CHEEK accident near Brashear, Texas, January 15, 2023
On January 15, 2023 at about 3:30 pm local time, a 2003 amateur-built HATZ/CHEEK, registered N1957P, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Brashear, Texas (N/A airport). It was a personal 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
A partial loss of engine power due to the formation of carburetor ice, which resulted in the inability to maintain altitude and the subsequent hard forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 15, 2023 · about 3:30 pm local time
- Place
- Brashear, Texas · N/A · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built HATZ/CHEEK, built 2003
- Registration
- N1957P · no longer on the register · serial 825
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported a gradual loss of engine power during cruise flight. He applied carburetor heat when the engine began running rough, which seemed to make the situation worse. Eventually, the available engine power was insufficient to maintain altitude and it became clear the airplane would not be able to reach the destination airport. The pilot executed a forced landing to a field; however, he flared too high and landed hard. The airframe sustained substantial damage to both wings and the fuselage. A postaccident engine examination revealed minor anomalies with respect to the carburetor heat system, and those anomalies may have slightly reduced the effectiveness of the carburetor heat when applied. The remaining anomalies identified during the engine examination were not consistent with a gradual loss of engine power and did not contribute to the accident. Meteorological conditions were conducive to the formation of carburetor icing during cruise flight. Based on the available information, it is likely that the formation of carburetor icing, which the carburetor heat system was unable to adequately remove, resulted in the loss of engine power. In addition, the hard landing that occurred during the forced landing may have increased the extent of damage to the airframe.
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 enroute
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Fuel related during enroute defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Temp/humidity/pressure › Conducive to carburetor icing › Effect on equipment
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 756 hours in all; 1 in this make and model; 5 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 677 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: December 1, 2022
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rear
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 302.6 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, January 14, 2023; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,500 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-300-D (piston); 3,045 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 0TE4 Hilltop Lakes TX at 8:30 am
- Destination: SLR Sulphur Springs TX
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 11 knots, gusting 16
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 1,000 ft
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.02 inHg
- Observation at 9:36 am from KSLR, 7 miles away
Weather report (METAR): METAR KSLR 151535Z AUTO 17011G16KT 10SM BKN010 11/08 A3002
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
5 documents, released by the NTSB on June 22, 2023. 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 | Accident Photos | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Maintenance Records | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Engine Examination Summary | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 5 | FAA Saib -- Carburetor Icing Prevention | PDF, 4 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.