Culver PQ 14A accident near Hickory, North Carolina, October 1, 2016
On October 1, 2016 at about 5:10 pm local time, a 1944 Culver PQ 14A, registered N4648V, was destroyed in an accident during maneuvering near Hickory, North Carolina (Hickory Rgnl airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The loss of engine power due to carburetor icing. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's use of automobile gasoline, which increased the likelihood of carburetor icing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 1, 2016 · about 5:10 pm local time
- Place
- Hickory, North Carolina · Hickory Rgnl · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Culver PQ 14A NO SERIES, built 1944
- Registration
- N4648V · no longer on the register · serial N2432
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The commercial pilot, who owned the airplane, was making a local personal flight from his home airport. During taxi for takeoff, the airplane experienced a total loss of engine power. The pilot/owner reported to a controller in the airport's air traffic control tower that he did not know why the engine stopped but that he got it restarted. The airplane subsequently departed. Minutes after departure, the pilot reported "engine problems" to the controller, asked to return, and was cleared to land on any runway. The airplane reversed course and witnesses near the accident site reported hearing the engine sputter and then stop. The airplane struck trees about 1 mile from the extended runway centerline as the pilot was attempting to reach the airport. Examination of the wreckage revealed no evidence of preimpact mechanical anomalies that would have prevented normal engine operation. The fuel drained from the airplane presented the color and odor of automobile gasoline, and the pilot was seen refueling his airplane from cans transported in his car. Further, the pilot had not serviced his airplane with aviation gasoline at his home airport. Atmospheric conditions were conducive to serious icing at descent power and moderate icing at cruise power. The airplane's loss of power when the power setting was low while taxiing and its loss of power when the power was reduced to cruise power after takeoff were both likely due to carburetor icing. A search of the airplane's maintenance records revealed no supplemental type certificate that authorized the use of automobile gasoline in the airplane, and the likelihood of carburetor icing is increased when automobile gasoline is used. While the airplane was equipped with carburetor heat, impact-related damage to the engine controls precluded an assessment of the control's preimpact position.
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
- Wrong fuel during prior to flight
- Fuel related during maneuvering
- Loss of engine power (total) during maneuvering defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Temp/humidity/pressure › Conducive to carburetor icing › Effect on equipment
- factor Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- factor Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid type
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,462 hours in all; 400 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 744.4 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 12, 2015; 4 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,820 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Franklin 6A4150 B3 (piston); 744 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: HKY Hickory NC at 5:05 pm
- Destination: HKY Hickory NC
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 01, 4,400 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.09 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 pm from HKY, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
8 documents, released by the NTSB on March 29, 2018. 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 | FAA Inspector's Statement | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Witness Statements | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 3 | FAA Fuel Programs Branch Report | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Carburetor Manufacturer Position on Automotive Fuel Usage | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Maps or Charts of Accident Area | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Photos | PDF, 6 pages | View Download |
| 7 | Toxicological Report | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 8 | Release of Aircraft Wreckage, NTSB Form 6120.15 | PDF, 1 page | 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.