ERA18LA101

Factual narrative

On March 13, 2018, about 1130 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-28-181, N5646V, was substantially damaged during a forced landing shortly after takeoff from Chesapeake Regional Airport (CPK), Chesapeake, Virginia. The private pilot and pilot-rated passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the local personal flight conducted under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.In a written statement, the pilot described completing the preflight inspection, run-up, takeoff, and one circuit in the airport traffic pattern with no anomalies noted. He performed a touch-and-go landing on runway 23, and when the airplane had climbed to about 200 feet, the engine stopped producing power. The pilot elected to land straight ahead off the departure end of the runway, and cycled the throttle during the descent, which only restored power momentarily before the forced landing was completed. During the ground run, the nose landing gear separated, and the airplane sustained substantial damage to the wing structure and the fuselage. In a telephone interview with a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector, the pilot provided an account that was consistent with his written statement. He provided greater detail about the positions of the fuel selector, fuel boost pump switch, mixture control, and his use and positioning of engine and flight controls throughout the flight. When asked at what point he had applied carburetor heat, the pilot replied that he did not apply carburetor heat at any point during the flight. The pilot held a private pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single engine land and instrument airplane. His most recent FAA first-class medical certificate was issued January 9, 2017. The pilot reported 188.1 total hours of flight experience, of which 139.8 were in the accident airplane make and model. According to FAA records, the airplane was manufactured in 1977. Its most recent 100-hour inspection was completed at 3,618 total aircraft hours. At 1115, the weather reported at CPK included clear skies, 10 miles visibility, and winds from 290 degrees at 12 knots gusting to 21 knots. The temperature was 6° C, the dew point was -4° C, and the altimeter setting was 29.87 inches of mercury. A review of atmospheric conditions at CPK at the time of the accident revealed conditions conducive to formation of "serious" carburetor icing at descent engine power settings. The wreckage was examined at the operator's facility by the FAA inspector who confirmed the damage and noted that the remainder of the airplane was intact. He raised the nose of the airplane by anchoring the tail, and an engine start was attempted using the airplane's own battery, fuel system, and the fuel present in the fuel tanks. The engine started immediately, accelerated smoothly, and ran continuously without interruption. Magneto and carburetor heat checks were performed, and the results were within the manufacturer's parameters. The private pilot was conducting touch-and-go landings; the airplane was about 200 ft above ground level after a takeoff when the engine lost total power. The pilot cycled the throttle during the straight-ahead descent, which restored power momentarily before the forced landing. During the ground roll, the nose landing gear separated, and the airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings and fuselage. A postaccident test run of the engine using the fuel available in the airplane’s tanks and the intact fuel system revealed that the engine operated normally with no anomalies noted. The weather conditions at the time of the accident were conducive to the formation of serious carburetor icing at descent engine power settings. The pilot stated that he had not activated the carburetor heat at any point during the flight. Because the engine operated normally after the accident, the weather conditions were conducive to the formation of carburetor icing, and the pilot failed to use carburetor heat during the approach, it is likely that the engine lost power due to the accumulation of carburetor ice before and during the takeoff. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

• C Environmental issues-Conditions/weather/phenomena-Temp/humidity/pressure-Conducive to carburetor icing-Effect on equipment - C
• C Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Use of equip/system-Pilot - C
• C Personnel issues-Action/decision-Info processing/decision-Identification/recognition-Pilot - C
• C Aircraft-Aircraft systems-Ice/rain protection system-Intake anti-ice, deice-Not used/operated - C