Beech 77 accident near Auburn, California, February 15, 2001
On February 15, 2001 at about 5:45 pm local time, a Beech 77, registered N18152, was substantially damaged in an accident near Auburn, California (Auburn Municipal airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A partial loss of engine power during initial takeoff climb due to the formation of carburetor ice. A contributing factor was the pilot's improper pretakeoff actions. A finding was that the improper rigging of the mixture control cable may have precluded establishment of the proper fuel/air combustion ratio.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 15, 2001 · about 5:45 pm local time
- Place
- Auburn, California · Auburn Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 77 · all 77s on the register
- Registration
- N18152 · no longer on the register · serial WA-286
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Prior to taking off, the airplane sat for about 10 minutes near the approach end of the runway. The pilot indicated that during this time no carburetor heat was applied to the engine. Thereafter, when he commenced taking off, full engine power was not produced. The airplane climbed between 250 and 300 feet above the runway, descended and impacted trees, and then collided with terrain about 1,500 feet beyond the runway's departure end. The pilot indicated that the accident could have been prevented had he, before initiating his takeoff and while waiting for landing traffic, applied carburetor heat to the engine. At the time, the temperature and dew point were 9 and 1 degree Celsius, respectively. According to a standard reference icing probability chart, the atmospheric conditions were in the range considered favorable for carburetor ice formation. The pilot reported that no mechanical malfunctions or failures were experienced with the airplane. The engine was subsequently examined, and no evidence of any internal mechanical malfunction was noted. The mixture control cable was found improperly rigged. As a result, when the cockpit mixture control was set to the full rich position, the mixture control arm on the carburetor was between the midrange position and 2/3 of the way to the idle cutoff position. The significance of the incorrect rigging to the loss of engine power could not be established.
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: private
- Ratings: rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 192 hours in all; 35 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,932 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, November 21, 2000; 31 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,675 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: AUN Auburn CA at 5:45 pm
- Destination: AUN Auburn CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 07, 3,100 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 120° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 48°F (9°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.15 inHg
- Observation at 6:00 pm from AUN
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.