Cessna 172 accident near Melba, Idaho, March 1, 2019
On March 1, 2019 at about 8:45 pm local time, a 1980 Cessna 172, registered N6486J, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering near Melba, Idaho (Nampa Muni airport). It was an instructional 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 total loss of engine power due to a separated carburetor idle mixture adjustment screw and spring assembly for reasons that could not be determined.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 1, 2019 · about 8:45 pm local time
- Place
- Melba, Idaho · Nampa Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 N, built 1980 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N6486J · registry record · serial 17273877
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor and student pilot were performing maneuvers when the engine lost total power. The instructor pitched the nose of the airplane down and asked the student pilot to restart the engine. The student pilot was unable to rotate the engine using the starter, and the flight instructor verified that the master switch was in the “ON” position. The instructor tried to start the engine himself and was unsuccessful. The flight instructor performed a forced landing in a field. Examination revealed that the idle mixture adjustment screw and spring assembly had separated from the carburetor and were found in the lower cowling area. After the airplane was relocated to a nearby road the engine rotated via the starter. Examination of the idle mixture adjustment screw and spring assembly revealed no anomalies. The reason that the screw backed out of the carburetor could not be determined. The starter solenoid was removed and disassembled. The starter solenoid was examined and revealed a frayed and separated wire from the coil to a terminal end. The reasons for this fraying and separation could not be determined. Although the starter solenoid was faulty, it is unlikely that the engine would have restarted due to the separated idle mixture screw and spring assembly.
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 maneuvering defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Powerplant sys/comp malf/fail during emergency descent
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine fuel and control › Fuel control/carburetor › Not specified
- Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine starting › (general) › Damaged/degraded
- Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 10,100 hours in all; 1,700 in this make and model; 45 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days; 10,020 as pilot in command; 7,650 on instruments
- Last flight review: November 25, 2017
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 223 hours in all; 223 in this make and model; 7 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 45 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (waiver time limited special)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 17,797.1 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, January 29, 2019; 24 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-H2AD (piston); 9,848 hours total
- Operator: Avcenter Inc.
The flight
- Departed from: KMAN Nampa ID at 8:10 pm
- Destination: KMAN Nampa ID
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 45°F (7°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.10 inHg
- Observation at 8:05 pm from KMAN, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
10 documents, released by the NTSB on April 19, 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 | Aerial Image | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Student Pilot-statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Statement from Mechanic | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Record of Conversation-mechanic | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Record of Conversation-owner | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 7 | FAA Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 8 | Logbook Entries | PDF, 5 pages | View Download |
| 9 | Work Order-starter Solenoid | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 10 | Photo Array-courtesy of the Airplane Owner | PDF, 6 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under N6486J the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.