| Crash location | 34.549166°N, 78.776667°W |
| Nearest city | Bladenboro, NC
34.538780°N, 78.787521°W 0.9 miles away |
| Tail number | N8758N |
|---|---|
| Accident date | 18 Nov 2017 |
| Aircraft type | Piper PA28 |
| Additional details: | None |
On November 18, 2017, about 1110 eastern standard time, a Piper PA28-140, N8758N, was substantially damaged during a forced landing near Bladenboro, North Carolina. The private pilot and passenger were not injured. Day, visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time, and no flight plan was filed for the local, personal flight that departed Bladenboro Airport (3W6). The flight was operated by the pilot under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.
In interview with a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector the pilot stated that after takeoff from runway 20, he circled to land on runway 02, but then initiated a go-around. On the downwind leg of the traffic pattern to runway 02, the engine experienced a partial loss of power. He applied carburetor heat, but it did not restore power to the engine. The airplane was unable to reach the runway and the pilot elected to land in a small field.
Examination of the airplane by an FAA inspector revealed damage to the engine mounts, and wing leading edges. The propeller was manually rotated, and a spark was produced on all spark plug leads. Both fuel tanks were more than half-full of uncontaminated fuel. A mud dauber nest was observed in the carburetor heat control box, which prevented the carburetor heat valve from fully opening.
The four-seat, low-wing airplane was manufactured in 1969 and was equipped with a Lycoming O-360, 180-horsepower reciprocating engine. The most recent annual was completed on September 26, 2017.
The pilot held a private pilot certificate with an airplane single-engine land rating. He reported 60 hours of total flight experience on his most recent application for an FAA third-class medical certificate, which was issued on March 9, 2015.
The weather conditions reported at the Columbus County Municipal Airport (CPC), Whiteville, North Carolina, which was located about 16 miles south of the accident site, included wind from 180° at 7 knots, visibility 10 statute miles, ceiling broken at 5,500 ft, temperature 18° C, dew point 10° C, and an altimeter setting of 30.03 inches of mercury.
An FAA carburetor icing probability chart indicated the temperature and dew point conditions were conducive to the formation of serious icing at glide power.
A loss of engine power due to carburetor icing and the presence of an insect nest in the carburetor heat control box that prevented the pilot’s application of carburetor heat from restoring engine power.