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NYC85LA096

1985-03-31 · PITTSFIELD, Massachusetts, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport PSF

Current FAA registration · N386X

Make / Model
MAULE M-5-235C
Year of manufacture
1976 · 9 years old at event
Engine
LYCOMING 0-540 SERIES (250 hp)
Seats / Engines
4 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
19760820
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A473A1

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Factual narrative

DURING A PREFLT WX BRIEFING, THE PLT WAS ADVISED OF POSSIBLE MODERATE ICING IN CLOUDS FROM THE SURFACE TO 4000 FT. WHILE IN FLT, STRUCTURAL ICING CONDITIONS WERE ENCOUNTERED & RIME ICE ACCUMULATED ON THE WINDSHIELD. ALSO, CARB ICE CONDITIONS WERE ENCOUNTERED & FULL CARB HEAT WAS APPLIED. THE ACFT WAS GETTING NEAR THE DESTINATION, SO THE PLT ELECTED TO CONTINUE. HE TURNED THE CARB HEAT OFF FOR A SHORT WHILE, THEN ABOUT 8 MI FROM THE DESTINATION ARPT, HE TURNED IT BACK ON. AS THE ACFT APPROACHED THE ARPT, ICE BEGAN ACCUMULATING RAPIDLY ON THE WINGS, TIRES, STRUTS & WINDSHIELD. THE WINDSHIELD WAS ALMOST TOTALLY COVERED WITH ICE. AFTER ENTERING THE TRAFFIC PATTERN TO LAND, THE PLT TURNED BASE WITH ABOUT 16 INCHES OF MANIFOLD PRESSURE. AT ABOUT THAT TIME, THE ENG LOST POWER & WOULD NOT RESTART. AN EMERG LANDING WAS MADE IN A SMALL FIELD SHORT OF THE RWY WHERE THE GEAR COLLAPSED BEFORE THE ACFT STOPPED. NO PREIMPACT PART FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION WAS FOUND DURING THE INVESTIGATION. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1985_NYC85LA096.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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