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ATL90LA066

1990-02-21 · ROXBORO, North Carolina, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport TDF

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO USE THE BEFORE LANDING CHECKLIST WHICH REQUIRES THE APPLICATION OF CARBURETOR HEAT. FACTORS WERE SOFT TERRAIN AT ACCIDENT SITE, AND CONDITION FAVORABLE FOR THE FORMATION OF CARBURETOR ICE.

Factual narrative

FOLLOWING A LOCAL FLIGHT THE ENGINE SPUTTERED & QUIT ON THE DOWNWIND LEG OF THE LANDING PATTERN. A FORCED LANDING IN SOFT TERRAIN RESULTED IN THE COLLAPSE OF THE NOSE GEAR & A NOSE OVER. THE PILOT SAID HE TOOK OFF WITH TEN GAL OF FUEL & FLEW ABOUT 50 MINUTES. FIRE PERSONNEL SAW FUEL POURING FROM THE VENTS AT THE ACCIDENT SITE. THE PILOT SAID HE HAD REFUELED ABOUT A WEEK PRIOR & FOUND WATER IN THE FUEL AFTERWARDS, WHICH HE DRAINED. NO WATER WAS FOUND DURING HIS PRE FLIGHT NOR IN THE GASCOLATOR AFTER THE ACCIDENT. HOWEVER, THE SPARK PLUGS HAD NO CARBON DEPOSITS ON THE ELECTRODES. THE ENGINE WAS MOUNTED ON A TEST STAND FOLLOWING THE ACCIDENT & OPERATED NORMALLY. ACCORDING TO THE ICING PROBABILITY CURVES, WEATHER CONDITIONS WERE FAVORABLE FOR THE FORMATION OF CARBURETOR ICE WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1990_ATL90LA066.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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