Cessna 172I accident near Mayer, Arizona, November 17, 2024

The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record

The pilot was conducting a personal cross-country flight with one passenger. During cruise flight, the engine misfired, and engine rpm and performance decreased. The pilot advanced the throttle fully, selected full-rich mixture, and applied carburetor heat, after which the engine rpm initially recovered. The engine then lost power a second time, and the pilot was unable to restore engine power. He subsequently performed a forced landing on uneven desert terrain, where the airplane sustained substantial damage. The owner recovered the engine and other portions of the wreckage from the accident site. A postaccident examination of the recovered engine components did not identify a mechanical malfunction or failure that accounted for the reported loss of engine power.  The weather conditions at the time of the accident were conducive to the accumulation of carburetor ice at glide and cruise power settings. The engine misfiring and decrease in rpm were also consistent with the indications of carburetor icing. After the pilot advanced the throttle, selected full-rich mixture, and applied carburetor heat, the engine rpm initially recovered. Although the pilot made these control changes simultaneously, the weather conditions conducive to icing, engine misfiring and decrease in rpm, and temporary recovery after the application of carburetor heat were collectively consistent with carburetor icing. Therefore, it is likely that carburetor ice accumulated and resulted in the loss of engine 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.

Photographs from the investigation 10 pictures from the NTSB's docket, as the NTSB released them

INVESTIGATION PHOTOGRAPHS-MAT LAB Photograph 1 – Mixture cable, overall.INVESTIGATION PHOTOGRAPHS-MAT LAB Photograph 2 – SEM of fracture surface. (50x)INVESTIGATION PHOTOGRAPHS-MAT LAB Photograph 3 – Wire fracture surface (80x)INVESTIGATION PHOTOGRAPHS-MAT LAB Photograph 4 – Wire profile. (40x) Photograph 7 - Caption of photographPhotograph 1 – Accident site, main wreckage.Photograph 2 – Accident site, main wreckage and impact marks.Photograph 3 – Accident site, right side of airplane.Photograph 4 – Accident site, engine cowling and propeller assembly.Photograph 5 - Accident site, left wing.Photograph 6 - Accident site, cabin area.

The NTSB's photographs with the NTSB's captions, at screen size. Open a picture to see it full size or to report one that should not be shown.