Cessna 172K accident near Belfast, Maine, March 20, 2012
On March 20, 2012 at about 11:45 pm local time, a Cessna 172K, registered N46492, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Belfast, Maine (Belfast Municipal Airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The flight instructor’s failure to ensure the radio was set correctly to activate the pilot-controlled lighting, which resulted in poor positioning for a proper landing and a subsequent off-runway forced landing during an attempted go-around. Contributing to the accident was a partial loss of engine power due to carburetor ice.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 20, 2012 · about 11:45 pm local time
- Place
- Belfast, Maine · Belfast Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172K · all 172Ks on the register
- Registration
- N46492 · no longer on the register · serial 17257303
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilots, while in cruise flight at 6,500 feet mean sea level, the engine lost partial power. The flight instructor applied full rich mixture and carburetor heat. Maintaining partial engine power, the flight diverted to a nearby airport. The pilots were unable to activate the pilot-controlled lighting at the airport and elected to utilize the airport's rotating beacon to locate the runway. The runway was located; however, the airplane was not in a position to make a landing, and the flight instructor applied full power in order to perform a go-around. During the go-around the engine experienced a total loss of power, and the flight instructor subsequently executed a forced landing to a nearby road. During the landing, the airplane struck a utility pole and nosed over. A postaccident test run of the engine revealed no evidence of any mechanical anomalies. According to postaccident photographs of the cockpit, the audio control panel was selected to Comm 1; however, Comm 2 was the radio that was set to the airport's common traffic advisory frequency, which was used for the pilot-controlled lighting. The airplane was operating in conditions conducive to serious carburetor icing at cruise power at the time of the accident. The probability existed that the airplane was operated in an area conducive to induction icing, and, although the flight instructor applied carburetor heat, the accumulation of the ice was greater than the application of heat could melt. It is further possible that during the go-around the abrupt throttle movement to the full power setting caused the total loss of 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 (cruise) defining event
- Loss of engine power (total) during approach (VFR go-around)
- Off-field or emergency landing during approach (VFR pattern base)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Identification/recognition › Instructor/check pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Instructor/check pilot
- factor Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Temp/humidity/pressure › Conducive to carburetor icing › Effect on equipment
- factor Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Delayed action › Instructor/check pilot
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,692 hours in all; 400 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days; 16 in the last 30 days; 1,148 as pilot in command; 420 on instruments
- Last flight review: July 18, 2011
- Medical certificate: Class 2
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 98 hours in all; 75 in this make and model; 16 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 11 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,926 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, December 6, 2011; 19 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 E2D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BHB Bar Harbor ME at 11:10 pm
- Destination: PWM Portland ME
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 15, 4,000 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 280° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 50°F (10°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.19 inHg
- Observation at 11:55 pm from RKD, 21 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
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.