Accident Temco GC-1B N3830K, Saturday 3 June 2023
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Date:Saturday 3 June 2023
Time:17:35 LT
Type:Silhouette image of generic GC1 model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different    
Temco GC-1B
Owner/operator:Private
Registration: N3830K
MSN: 3519
Year of manufacture:1948
Engine model:Continental O-300 SER
Fatalities:Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Other fatalities:0
Aircraft damage: Substantial
Category:Accident
Location:Jones Memorial Airport (3F7), Bristow, OK -   United States of America
Phase: Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.)
Nature:Private
Departure airport:Bristow, OK
Destination airport:Bristow, OK
Investigating agency: NTSB
Confidence Rating: Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Narrative:
The pilot was enroute to a private grass airstrip to practice touch-and-go landings. A witness observed the airplane approach the airstrip about 300 ft. The airplane was in a shallow left turn and the engine was running rough. He said that the engine lost and regained rpms about four times before it stopped running. The airplane appeared to be flying slowly. Seconds later, the witness heard the airplane make a sudden and audible contact with the ground, and he went immediately to the accident site. The airplane was lying upright in a vegetated field with the forward part of the fuselage and wings substantially damaged.
The pilot told the witness that all he could remember was that the engine was running rough and that he was trying to correct the problem. The pilot said that he thought that he had carburetor ice, so he applied carburetor heat, but the engine roughness got worse.
Examination of the airframe, flight controls, fuel system, and the engine, did not reveal any pre-impact anomalies that would have precluded normal operations. The airplane was being operated in weather conditions conducive to serious carburetor icing at glide power. Based on the pilot's and the witness's recollection of the event and the weather conditions, the loss of engine power was most likely the result of carburetor icing due to the pilot's delayed application of carburetor heat.

Probable Cause: The loss of engine power due to carburetor ice due to the pilot's delayed application of carburetor heat.

Accident investigation:
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Investigating agency: NTSB
Report number: CEN23LA226
Status: Investigation completed
Duration: 1 year and 5 months
Download report: Final report

Sources:

NTSB CEN23LA226

Location

Revision history:

Date/timeContributorUpdates
05-Jun-2023 17:12 Captain Adam Added
24-Nov-2024 15:08 ASN Update Bot Updated [Time, Operator, Other fatalities, Phase, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, ]

Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description

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