NTSB Factual Report

On March 24, 2015, at 1605 central daylight time, a Cessna 172H, N8282L, nosed-over in muddy terrain during a forced landing following a simulated loss of engine power and forced landing near Circleville, Texas. The pilots were unable to regain engine power during the simulated forced landing. The airplane sustained substantial damage. The flight instructor and student pilot sustained minor injuries. The airplane was registered to and operated by the student pilot under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as an instructional flight that was not operating on a flight plan. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident for the local flight that departed from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS), Austin, Texas at 1530.

The student pilot stated that the purpose of the accident flight was a mock checkride for the student pilot. The student pilot stated that the run-up prior to departure from AUS was normal and there was a small wait for departure, as they were the fourth airplane in line for departure. At takeoff, the engine did not have normal power and the mixture had to be leaned and upon doing so, the engine performance returned to normal. They departed toward the north and performed flight maneuvers at an altitude of about 4,500 feet mean sea level prior to performing a simulated engine failure. The simulated engine failure was performed by pulling the carburetor heat on and retarding the throttle to idle. The airplane was turned into the wind, about 180 degrees, and the best glide speed was established. The student pilot said there was a brief discussion of what other things were to be done i.e. find a field, squawk 7700, attempt a restart, etc. About 2,500 feet mean sea level, the flight instructor attempted to clear the engine and pushed the throttle control to full power and nothing happened. The flight instructor made attempts to adjust the mixture and restart the engine, which did not restart. The flight instructor took the flight controls and made landing to a field where the airplane got caught in the mud. The nose gear and propeller initially impacted the ground and the airplane flipped over.

The AUS weather observation at 1553 recorded a temperature of 25 degrees Celsius and a dew point of 17 degrees Celsius.

According to the New Carburetor Probability Icing Chart, a temperature of 25 degrees Celsius and a dew point of 17 degrees Celsius was in the moderate icing at cruise power and serious icing at descent power region.

NTSB Probable Cause

The failure of the engine to regain normal power after a simulated engine failure due to carburetor icing, which resulted in a forced landing on muddy terrain and a subsequent nose-over.