LAX95LA054

Factual narrative

On December 19, 1994, at 1553 Pacific standard time, a Cessna 120, N89885, nosed over during a runway overrun following a rejected takeoff at the Torrance, California, airport. The aircraft was owned and operated by the pilot and was on a local area personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed. The aircraft incurred substantial damage. The certificated private pilot and one passenger were not injured. The flight originated at the Torrance, California, airport on the day of the accident at 1500 hours as a local area flight. According to the pilot's oral and written statements, he was performing touch-and-go pattern operations at the Torrance airport. During the takeoff portion of the last touch-and-go, the engine lost power shortly after lift-off on runway 29R. The pilot landed on the runway, but had insufficient pavement remaining to stop the aircraft. The aircraft overran the end of the runway and nosed over when soft, recently plowed dirt was encountered. The pilot reported that he examined the engine compartment and found the duct hose from the heat box to the carburetor crimped, blocking hot air flow to the carburetor. The engine was examined with no discrepancies noted. The pilot suspected carburetor ice as the cause of the engine power loss. The temperature and dew point at the airport was 58 and 51 degrees, respectively. Review of a carburetor icing probability chart revealed that the noted temperatures were within an area of the chart annotated "serious icing -- cruise or climb power." THE PILOT SAID HE WAS PERFORMING TOUCH-AND-GO PATTERN OPERATIONS AND THE ENGINE LOST POWER SHORTLY AFTER LIFT-OFF ON RUNWAY 29R. THE PILOT LANDED ON THE RUNWAY, BUT HAD INSUFFICIENT PAVEMENT REMAINING TO STOP THE AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT OVERRAN THE END OF THE RUNWAY AND NOSED OVER WHEN SOFT, RECENTLY PLOWED DIRT WAS ENCOUNTERED. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE EXAMINED THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND FOUND THE DUCT HOSE FROM THE HEAT BOX TO THE CARBURETOR CRIMPED, BLOCKING HOT AIR FLOW TO THE CARBURETOR. THE ENGINE WAS EXAMINED WITH NO DISCREPANCIES NOTED. THE PILOT SUSPECTED CARBURETOR ICE AS THE CAUSE OF THE ENGINE POWER LOSS. THE TEMPERATURE AND DEW POINT AT THE AIRPORT WERE 58 AND 51 DEGREES, RESPECTIVELY. REVIEW OF A CARBURETOR ICING PROBABILITY CHART REVEALED THAT THE NOTED TEMPERATURES WERE WITHIN AN AREA OF THE CHART ANNOTATED 'SERIOUS ICING -- CRUISE OR CLIMB POWER.' Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12