In a tragic case that demonstrates that carburetor icing is not limited to cold-weather or high-altitude operations, the National Transportation Safety Board’s (NTSB’s) final report on the May 14, 2022, fatal Cessna 172 accident on a bridge in Miami concludes that carburetor ice was the probable cause. The pilot, who was also an air traffic controller and airframe & powerplant mechanic, died in the accident and his two passengers were seriously injured. At his most recent medical examination in 2020, the pilot recorded 149 hours of flight experience, some 101 of which were in the make and model of the accident aircraft. His two passengers, both family members, were seriously injured and five motorists suffered minor injuries.
The pilot initially took off from Miami Homestead General Aviation Airport (X51) just before noon and landed at North Perry Airport (KHWO) in Hollywood, Florida, about 12:20 local time to refuel and pick up the passengers for a sightseeing flight to Key West International Airport (KEYW). At 12:48, as the Skyhawk was flying along the coastline at 1,200 feet under flight following, the pilot issued a Mayday call to Miami Approach: “Lost engine power, uh looks like um … let’s see … I don’t know where I am going to put this down but I’m going down.”…