Temco GC-1B accident near Bristow, Oklahoma, June 3, 2023
On June 3, 2023 at about 9:35 pm local time, a 1948 Temco GC-1B, registered N3830K, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering near Bristow, Oklahoma (Private airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The loss of engine power due to carburetor ice due to the pilot’s delayed application of carburetor heat.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 3, 2023 · about 9:35 pm local time
- Place
- Bristow, Oklahoma · Private · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Temco GC-1B NO SERIES, built 1948 · all GC-1Bs on the register
- Registration
- N3830K · registry record · serial 3519
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was enroute to a private grass airstrip to practice touch-and-go landings. A witness observed the airplane approach the airstrip about 300 ft. The airplane was in a shallow left turn and the engine was running rough. He said that the engine lost and regained rpms about four times before it stopped running. The airplane appeared to be flying slowly. Seconds later, the witness heard the airplane make a sudden and audible contact with the ground, and he went immediately to the accident site. The airplane was lying upright in a vegetated field with the forward part of the fuselage and wings substantially damaged. The pilot told the witness that all he could remember was that the engine was running rough and that he was trying to correct the problem. The pilot said that he thought that he had carburetor ice, so he applied carburetor heat, but the engine roughness got worse. Examination of the airframe, flight controls, fuel system, and the engine, did not reveal any pre-impact anomalies that would have precluded normal operations. The airplane was being operated in weather conditions conducive to serious carburetor icing at glide power. Based on the pilot’s and the witness’s recollection of the event and the weather conditions, the loss of engine power was most likely the result of carburetor icing due to the pilot’s delayed application of carburetor heat.
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 maneuvering defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Temp/humidity/pressure › Conducive to carburetor icing › Contributed to outcome
- Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › (general) › Malfunction
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Delayed action › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 500 hours in all; 20 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor O-300 SER (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 29.89 inHg
- Observation at 4:35 pm from KCUH, 19 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KCUH 032135Z AUTO 36003KT 10SM CLR 26/17 A2989 RMK AO2 LTG DSNT S T02570168
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CEN23LA226.