Piper PA28 accident near Bladenboro, North Carolina, November 18, 2017
On November 18, 2017 at about 4:10 pm local time, a 1969 Piper PA28, registered N8758N, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach (VFR pattern downwind) near Bladenboro, North Carolina (Bladenboro airport). It was a personal 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
A loss of engine power due to carburetor icing and the presence of an insect nest in the carburetor heat control box that prevented the pilot’s application of carburetor heat from restoring engine power.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 18, 2017 · about 4:10 pm local time
- Place
- Bladenboro, North Carolina · Bladenboro · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA28 140, built 1969 · all PA28s on the register
- Registration
- N8758N · no longer on the register · serial 28-25579
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot stated that, after a go-around, he was on the downwind leg of the airport traffic pattern when the engine lost partial power. He applied carburetor heat, but it did not restore full power to the engine. With the airplane unable to reach the runway, he performed an off-airport landing to a field, which resulted in substantial damage to the wing leading edges and engine mounts. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that there was an insect nest in the carburetor heat control box that prevented it from functioning properly. The examination revealed no evidence of other preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures of the engine that would have precluded normal operation. The weather conditions at the time of the accident were conducive to the formation of serious carburetor icing at glide engine power settings. It is likely that the initial loss of engine power was the result of an accumulation of ice in the carburetor that could not be removed by using carburetor heat due to the insect nest.
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 approach
- Loss of engine power (partial) during approach (VFR pattern downwind) defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Debris/dirt/foreign object › Effect on equipment
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Ice/rain protection system › Intake anti › ice, deice › Damaged/degraded
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Temp/humidity/pressure › Conducive to carburetor icing › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 600 hours in all
- Last flight review: February 19, 2017
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,334 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 26, 2017
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 3W6 Bladenboro NC at 4:00 pm
- Destination: 3W6 Bladenboro NC
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 5,500 ft
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 30.03 inHg
- Observation at 4:05 pm from KCPC, 16 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on April 22, 2019. 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's Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 2 | FAA Inspector's Statement | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Photo Array | PDF, 3 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.