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 a fire survey flight crashed into high terrain east of Carbonado, resulting in minor injuries to both the pilot and passenger.
- The pilot, a flight instructor, reported a loss of climb performance and engine roughness, suspecting carburetor icing, which he had never encountered before.
- Contributing factors included the pilot's limited mountain flying experience and allowing the passenger to fly the aircraft after demonstrating maneuvers.
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