NTSB CHI84LA295 — 1984-07-14 · SOUTHGATE, Michigan, United States

Current FAA registration · N20218

Make / Model: CESSNA 172M
Year of manufacture: 1972 · 12 years old at event
Engine: LYCOMING 0-320 SERIES (180 hp)
Seats / Engines: 4 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date: 19721024
ADS-B equipped: Yes — Mode-S A19C0D

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

N20218 Cessna 172M None

Factual narrative

AFTER TAKEOFF, THE PLT CLIMBED TO 8500 FT MSL TO PRACTICE MANEUVERS. HE THEN MADE A DESCENT TO 4500 FT & BEGAN HEADING BACK TO THE ARPT, THEN CONTINUED DESCENDING TO 1800 FT & ENTERED THE TCA. THE ENG LOST POWER APRX 7 MILES FROM THE AIRPORT. LATER, DURING AN INTERVIEW, THE PLT STATED THAT HE ONLY MOMENTARILY USED THE CARBURETOR HEAT WHEN HE BEGAN HIS DESCENT FROM 8000 TO 1800 FT MSL. DURING AN EMERGENCY LANDING, THE PLT LANDED IN AN AREA WITH WEEDS ABOUT 1 FT TALL. HE WAS NOT AWARE OF A DITCH THAT CROSSED THE AREA UNTIL AFTER TOUCHDOWN. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE ACFT HIT THE FAR SIDE OF THE DITCH & NOSED OVER. THE TEMP & DEW POINT WERE 90 & 60 DEG. ACCORDING TO ICING PROBABILITY CHARTS, VISIBLE ICING WAS POSSIBLE IN FLOAT TYPE CARBURETORS. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1984_CHI84LA295.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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