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DEN90LA153

1990-07-06 · MILES CITY, Montana, United States · Minor · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport MLS

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

THE FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO USE CARBURETOR HEAT DURING DESCENT FOR LANDING, RESULTING IN A LOSS OF POWER.

Factual narrative

THE PRIVATE PILOT DESCENDED FROM 10,000 TO 3,600 FEET FOR LANDING. HE SAID HE EXTENDED THE DOWNWIND LEG FOR DEPARTING TRAFFIC AND AFTER TURNING FINAL, THE ENGINE QUIT. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED A RESTART TO NO AVAIL. THE PLANE STRUCK A FENCE AND LANDED SHORT OF THE RUNWAY INTO A STEEP GRAVEL BANK. THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT WAS FOLDED UNDER THE FUSELAGE AND THE CABIN WAS CRUSHED. THE PILOT'S OPERATING HANDBOOK STATES 'APPLY FULL (CARBURETOR) HEAT BEFORE CLOSING THROTTLE.' THE PILOT SAID HE USED CARBURETOR HEAT AFTER THE ENGINE QUIT, TO ATTEMPT THE RESTART. THE PLANE'S CO-OWNER SAID THIS ENGINE WAS PRONE TO LOAD UP DURING LONG DESCENTS, AND 'WOULD NOT TAKE THROTTLE.' Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1990_DEN90LA153.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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