Event CEN22LA398

Factual narrative

On August 28, 2022, at 1345 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 172I, N46202, sustained substantial damage when it was involved in an accident near Olivet, Michigan. The student pilot was uninjured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The student pilot was on a visual final for a low approach when he applied engine power to stabilize the descent. The engine did not respond, and the airplane continued to descend and landed hard land on the runway. The airplane nosed over and sustained substantial damage to both wings, the left wing strut, the fuselage, and the vertical stabilizer. The student pilot reported that he’d applied carburetor heat for about 10 seconds when he was about one mile from the runway. There was no engine roughness during the application. He then turned it off. Weather conditions were conducive for serious carburetor icing at glide power. A National Transportation Safety Board Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident/Incident Report Form 6120.1 was not received from the student pilot. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the left and right wing fuel tanks contained useable fuel. Examination of the airframe and engine revealed no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. The student pilot was on a visual final for a low approach when he applied engine power to stabilize the descent. The engine did not respond, and the airplane continued to descend and landed hard on the runway. The airplane then nosed over and sustained substantial damage. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the left and right wing fuel tanks contained useable fuel. Examination of the airframe and engine revealed no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. The student pilot stated that the engine did not respond, but it is likely that the student pilot delayed the application of engine power and when he applied engine power, it exceeded the response capability of the airplane/engine that he perceived as delayed. The student pilot also reported that he’d applied carburetor heat for about 10 seconds when he was about one mile from the runway. There was no engine roughness during the application. He then turned it off. An accident report form was not received from the student pilot. Weather conditions were conducive for serious carburetor icing at glide power. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

Hierarchical cause / factor breakdown from the FAA bulk avdata database. Each finding tagged C (Cause) or F (Factor).

• — Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Descent/approach/glide path-Not attained/maintained