At approximately 15:30 Pacific time, a Cessna 172RG on an aerial fire survey flight crashed into high terrain while maneuvering about 5 nm east of Carbonado. The pilot and passenger suffered minor injuries. The pilot, also a flight instructor, said he departed Boeing Field with the passenger for a fire spotting flight in the Cascade Mountain foothills. He demonstrated some flight maneuvers to the passenger, then allowed the passenger to fly. The pilot sensed a loss of climb performance and took the flight controls, but the engine began running rough and the airplane struck trees. The pilot said he may have encountered carb ice, but had never experienced carb ice before. The pilot also reported having no significant mountain flying experience.
September 05, Carbonado, Wash. / Cessna Cutlass
At approximately 15:30 Pacific time, a Cessna 172RG on an aerial fire survey flight crashed into high terrain while maneuvering about 5 nm east of Carbonado. The pilot and passenger suffered minor injuries. The pilot, also a flight instructor, said he departed Boeing Field with the passenger for a fire spotting flight in the Cascade Mountain foothills. He demonstrated some flight maneuvers to the passenger, then allowed the passenger to fly. The pilot sensed a loss of climb performance and took the flight controls, but the engine began running rough and the airplane struck trees. The pilot said he may have encountered carb ice, but had never experienced carb ice before. The pilot also report...
Key Takeaways:
- A Cessna 172RG on an aerial fire survey flight crashed into high terrain near Carbonado, resulting in minor injuries to the pilot and passenger.
- The pilot, a flight instructor with no significant mountain flying experience, reported a loss of climb performance and engine roughness, suspecting carburetor ice despite never having encountered it before.
- The incident occurred after the pilot demonstrated maneuvers to the passenger and then allowed the passenger to fly before taking back controls due to performance issues.
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