Cessna 120 accident near Summit, South Carolina, July 13, 2019
On July 13, 2019 at about 3:45 pm local time, a 1947 Cessna 120, registered N3886V, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Summit, South Carolina (The Farm Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A total loss of engine power during initial climb due to carburetor ice formation.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 13, 2019 · about 3:45 pm local time
- Place
- Summit, South Carolina · The Farm Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 120 No Series, built 1947 · all 120s on the register
- Registration
- N3886V · no longer on the register · serial 12549
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
After a 30-minute local flight, the pilot returned to the departure airport to conduct touch-and-go takeoffs and landings. While descending toward the airport, he applied carburetor heat when the engine power was below 1,200 rpm, and intermittently applied power during the descent. After touching down, the pilot applied throttle to take off, and about 40 to 50 ft above ground level, the engine lost total power. He slipped the airplane to land on the remaining runway, then applied brakes to prevent a runway overrun. The airplane nosed over, resulting in substantial damage. Examination of the engine revealed minor discrepancies and mis-timed magnetos that likely existed during the initial takeoff, but would not have caused the reported loss of engine power. The weather conditions at the time of the accident were conducive to the formation of carburetor icing at glide (idle) and cruise engine power settings. Thus, it is likely that, during the descent and approach when carburetor heat was applied only when operating at a reduced power setting, carburetor ice formed, which subsequently resulted in a total loss of engine power during the initial climb.
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 initial climb defining event
- Miscellaneous/other during emergency descent
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Temp/humidity/pressure › Conducive to carburetor icing › Effect on equipment
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Delayed action › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Identification/recognition › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 430 hours in all; 52 in this make and model; 27 in the last 90 days; 375 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 24, 2019
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,200 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 5, 2018; 52 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,450 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C85-12 (piston); 2,812 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 24SC Summit SC at 3:00 pm
- Destination: 24SC Summit SC
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 31, 2,600 ft by 180 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 3,400 ft
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 3:56 pm from CAE, 16 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
7 documents, released by the NTSB on March 16, 2022. 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/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | FAA Inspector Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Weather Reports and Records | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Excerpt from FAA Saib CE-09-35 | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Statment from Mechanic Who Performed Postaccident Inspection of the Engine | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Investigative Photograph | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 7 | 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.