Amateur-built Corben Baby Ace D accident near Wamsutter, Wyoming, June 13, 2003
On June 13, 2003 at about 6:30 pm local time, a amateur-built Corben Baby Ace D, registered N794CH, was substantially damaged in an accident near Wamsutter, Wyoming. It was a ferry flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A loss of engine power due to carburetor icing. Contributing factors were weather conditions conducive to carburetor icing and unsuitable terrain available on which to make a forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 13, 2003 · about 6:30 pm local time
- Place
- Wamsutter, Wyoming · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built Corben Baby Ace D
- Registration
- N794CH · registry record · serial 29
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Ferry flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane was being ferried to its new owner. The pilot said he was cruising at 8,000 feet msl (1,000 feet agl), using a power setting of 2,400 rpm with the mixture leaned "for altitude." About 1 hour after takeoff, the engine began "sputtering and backfiring." Engine power dropped from 2,400 rpm to approximately 1,000 to 1,100 rpm. Unable to restore power, the pilot made a forced landing on rough, uneven terrain. During the landing roll, the airplane struck a hole and nosed over, coming to rest inverted. The accident site was at an elevation of 6,955 feet msl. The pilot told a sheriff's deputy that "it was either engine failure or [the] carburetor iced up." Temperature and dew point recorded at an automated weather observation station (AWOS) station, located 48 miles east of the accident site, were 4 degrees and 0 degrees C., respectively. According to the Carburetor Icing Probability Chart, the temperature and dew point correspond to "serious icing at cruise power." The computed relative humidity was 76 percent. The pilot said he had had "carburetor ice before and the onset was always a gradual onset of power loss requiring changes in the throttle setting until ice was recognized. This was NOT the case in this incident as the power loss was instant and no actions affected it after they were tried." According to FAA's Flight Training Handbook, the onset of ice may be subtle or sudden, particularly if ice forms on the carburetor jets, because it "tends to choke off the flow of air and reduce the power output, or even prevent the engine from operating." The engine was functionally tested to 2,100 rpm, and no discrepancies were noted. Additional power output was not possible due to the intake manifold being crushed during the accident.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,247 hours in all; 9 in this make and model; 11 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days; 2,146 as pilot in command; 144 on instruments
- Last flight review: May 4, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 83 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 7, 2003; 11 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,100 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200-A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: RKS Rock Springs WY at 5:40 pm
- Destination: RWL Rawlins WY
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 280° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 39°F (4°C), dew point 32°F (0°C)
- Altimeter: 30.35 inHg
- Observation at 5:53 pm from RWL, 30 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
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.