Cessna 140 accident near Marsing, Idaho, August 14, 2018
On August 14, 2018 at about 4:30 pm local time, a 1946 Cessna 140, registered N89093, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Marsing, Idaho (Sunrise Skypark 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
The loss of engine power during a low pass as a result of a blockage of the carburetor idle chambers which led to a forced landing in a river.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 14, 2018 · about 4:30 pm local time
- Place
- Marsing, Idaho · Sunrise Skypark · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 140 Undesignat, built 1946 · all 140s on the register
- Registration
- N89093 · no longer on the register · serial 8097
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During a low pass over the runway, the pilot advanced the throttle, but the engine failed to respond. After switching fuel tanks, the pilot initiated a forced landing to a shallow part of a river that paralleled the runway. The airplane came to rest upright in the river, partially submerged, and sustained substantial damage to the lower fuselage and firewall. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the engine initially would not run. The carburetor was removed, partially disassembled, and examined. Evidence of corrosion was observed in the float bowl. The carburetor bowl was cleaned internally, reassembled, and reinstalled on the engine. Additional attempts to run the engine revealed that the engine would not run at power settings below 1,300 rpm. Subsequent examination of the carburetor revealed that the throttle shaft was loose in its bushings or mounting to the casting. When the carburetor was installed on a fuel flow bench, immediate leaks were noted audibly, one at the throttle shaft seals and one in the area of the accelerator pump. Indications of blockage in the idle chambers of the carburetor were present, and at idle ranges, the fuel flows were significantly out of specification which likely led to the loss of engine power. Removal of the idle tube showed significant corrosion and contaminants in that area. The source of contaminants was not determined.
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
- Loss of engine power (total) during initial climb defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine fuel and control › Fuel control/carburetor › Fatigue/wear/corrosion
- Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine fuel and control › Fuel control/carburetor › Not specified
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 584 hours in all; 61.3 in this make and model; 22 in the last 90 days; 6.5 in the last 30 days; 482.2 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: November 21, 2016
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,244.4 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 1, 2017; 61 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,451 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C85-12 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Nampa ID at 3:30 pm
- Destination: Nampa ID
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 30, 2,892 ft by 40 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 29.98 inHg
- Observation at 5:35 pm from KMAN, 13 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
4 documents, released by the NTSB on July 7, 2021. 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, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | NTSB Airframe and Engine Examination Summary | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Carburetor Exam FAA Correspondence | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Photo Array | PDF, 4 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.