Cessna 172H accident near Arcata, California, January 8, 1992
On January 8, 1992 at about 7:30 pm local time, a Cessna 172H, registered N1608F, was substantially damaged in an accident near Arcata, California. 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
CARBURETOR ICING AND THE FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO USE CARBURETOR HEAT.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 8, 1992 · about 7:30 pm local time
- Place
- Arcata, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172H · all 172Hs on the register
- Registration
- N1608F · registry record · serial 55003
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT SAID THE AIRCRAFT WAS IN CRUISE FLIGHT WHEN THE ENGINE BEGAN TO GRADUALLY LOSE POWER, THEN QUIT ALTOGETHER. HE ATTEMPTED A FORCED LANDING IN A PASTURE, HIT A BERM DURING THE LANDING ROLL OUT AND THE AIRCRAFT NOSED OVER. FAA INSPECTORS EXAMINED THE AIRCRAFT AND FOUND FUEL IN ALL TANKS AND LINES. THE ENGINE WAS STARTED IN THE AIRCRAFT AND EXERCISED THROUGHOUT ITS NORMAL POWER RANGE. THE ARCATA AVIATION SURFACE OBSERVATION WAS REPORTING A TEMPERATURE OF 50 DEGREES AND A DEW POINT OF 38 DEGREES. REVIEW OF THE CARBURETOR ICING PROBABILITY CHART REVEALED THAT THE TEMPERATURE AND DEW POINT WAS LOCATED IN AN AREA OF THE CHART DEFINED AS 'SERIOUS ICING, CLIMB OR CRUISE 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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 274 hours in all; 234 in this make and model; 8 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 205 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,864 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, December 9, 1991; 25 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-300-D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 140° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 50°F (10°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:57 pm from ACV, 15 miles away
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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number LAX92LA084.