Narrative:

It is my conclusion that the technology exists to prevent the type of occurrence I encountered from being repeated. This aircraft and most other similar aircraft are not equipped to detect the presence or threat of carburetor ice. It is unfortunate that many manufacturers feel a reluctance to implement product improvement to the existing fleet for fear of liability of previous designs. On 5/fri/91, I was returning from a location east of crest airpark. I entered a descent with the application of carburetor heat and a reduction of power. I was descending toward a clear-cut area ahead and at approximately 1000' I attempted to initiate a climb by increasing power to full and removing carburetor heat. The engine failed to respond with full power and in fact coughed and attempted to stall. In that it was evident that the engine was failing, I established best glide speed and accomplished engine failure emergency procedures in an effort to restore power while setting up for a possible off-field emergency landing. Power was eventually restored and recovery from the forced descent was accomplished, but not before contacting tree branches with the outboard section of the right wing. I made a climbing turn to the west to return to crest airpark. I noticed during this climb that power was reduced from normal full climb power with RPM toward the bottom of the green arc. Upon T/D at crest, I reduced to idle to complete a normal landing and felt the power increase 200-300 RPM. I again reduced power to idle and the power again increased 200-300 RPM. This happened a third time and as I reduced power to the idle stop, the engine completely stopped. I then exited the aircraft and inspected the skin damage to the right wing. I then attempted to restart the aircraft and finally after multiple restart attempts the engine started and seemed to idle normally on the taxi to the ramp. While I cannot be certain of the cause of this power loss, carburetor ice seems to me to be the most feasible explanation in that the aircraft was inspected and test flown on the next day by a company mechanic who reported that everything checked out fine on his flight. This aircraft was not equipped with any type of carburetor ice warning or detection system.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WING TIP SLIGHTLY DAMAGED ON SMA IN NEAR OFF ARPT LNDG AFTER A PARTIAL POWER LOSS IN THE ENGINE IS EXPERIENCED.

Narrative: IT IS MY CONCLUSION THAT THE TECHNOLOGY EXISTS TO PREVENT THE TYPE OF OCCURRENCE I ENCOUNTERED FROM BEING REPEATED. THIS ACFT AND MOST OTHER SIMILAR ACFT ARE NOT EQUIPPED TO DETECT THE PRESENCE OR THREAT OF CARB ICE. IT IS UNFORTUNATE THAT MANY MANUFACTURERS FEEL A RELUCTANCE TO IMPLEMENT PRODUCT IMPROVEMENT TO THE EXISTING FLEET FOR FEAR OF LIABILITY OF PREVIOUS DESIGNS. ON 5/FRI/91, I WAS RETURNING FROM A LOCATION E OF CREST AIRPARK. I ENTERED A DSNT WITH THE APPLICATION OF CARB HEAT AND A REDUCTION OF PWR. I WAS DSNDING TOWARD A CLEAR-CUT AREA AHEAD AND AT APPROX 1000' I ATTEMPTED TO INITIATE A CLB BY INCREASING PWR TO FULL AND REMOVING CARB HEAT. THE ENG FAILED TO RESPOND WITH FULL PWR AND IN FACT COUGHED AND ATTEMPTED TO STALL. IN THAT IT WAS EVIDENT THAT THE ENG WAS FAILING, I ESTABLISHED BEST GLIDE SPD AND ACCOMPLISHED ENG FAILURE EMER PROCS IN AN EFFORT TO RESTORE PWR WHILE SETTING UP FOR A POSSIBLE OFF-FIELD EMER LNDG. PWR WAS EVENTUALLY RESTORED AND RECOVERY FROM THE FORCED DSNT WAS ACCOMPLISHED, BUT NOT BEFORE CONTACTING TREE BRANCHES WITH THE OUTBOARD SECTION OF THE RIGHT WING. I MADE A CLBING TURN TO THE W TO RETURN TO CREST AIRPARK. I NOTICED DURING THIS CLB THAT PWR WAS REDUCED FROM NORMAL FULL CLB PWR WITH RPM TOWARD THE BOTTOM OF THE GREEN ARC. UPON T/D AT CREST, I REDUCED TO IDLE TO COMPLETE A NORMAL LNDG AND FELT THE PWR INCREASE 200-300 RPM. I AGAIN REDUCED PWR TO IDLE AND THE PWR AGAIN INCREASED 200-300 RPM. THIS HAPPENED A THIRD TIME AND AS I REDUCED PWR TO THE IDLE STOP, THE ENG COMPLETELY STOPPED. I THEN EXITED THE ACFT AND INSPECTED THE SKIN DAMAGE TO THE RIGHT WING. I THEN ATTEMPTED TO RESTART THE ACFT AND FINALLY AFTER MULTIPLE RESTART ATTEMPTS THE ENG STARTED AND SEEMED TO IDLE NORMALLY ON THE TAXI TO THE RAMP. WHILE I CANNOT BE CERTAIN OF THE CAUSE OF THIS PWR LOSS, CARB ICE SEEMS TO ME TO BE THE MOST FEASIBLE EXPLANATION IN THAT THE ACFT WAS INSPECTED AND TEST FLOWN ON THE NEXT DAY BY A COMPANY MECH WHO RPTED THAT EVERYTHING CHKED OUT FINE ON HIS FLT. THIS ACFT WAS NOT EQUIPPED WITH ANY TYPE OF CARB ICE WARNING OR DETECTION SYS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.