Engine failure caused by carburetor ice makes a forced emergency landing necessary.

Attributes
ACN	204652
Time
Date	199203
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lci
State Reference	NH
Altitude	agl bound lower : 300 agl bound upper : 300
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff climbout : initial other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 1600 flight time type : 30
ASRS Report	204652
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency none taken : unable other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Problem began at 300 ft AGL shortly after takeoff. Engine runup normal, all indications in engine instruments normal. Applied full power, acceleration normal, engine instruments normal. Once airborne, engine ran rough, suspected carburetor ice because this particular make/model of aircraft is susceptible, especially so, to carburetor ice even when conditions non-favorable for carburetor ice. AWOS reported temperature 18 degrees and dewpoint -11 degree F (low relative humidity). Pulled on full carburetor heat, engine lost all power, and power was not regained in time to prevent a forced landing. Not enough runway ahead remaining to land and with 90 degree crosswind and gusts, would have been difficult with no power. Pilot elected to land on a closed runway now used as a taxiway, as it was oriented into the wind and afforded more useful distance to land. Successful landing made and engine runup was normal after landing. Examined for other possible cause of engine failure, non-obvious. Pilot taxied for another takeoff, elected to use carburetor heat as preventive measure and was successful. Rest of flight was uneventful. Post-flight discussion with other pilots revealed similar situations, carburetor ice in non carburetor ice favorable conditions, when carburetor heat applied, full loss of power for as long as 40 seconds. Aircraft, an small aircraft. I believe pilot (me) acted accordingly, and made safe landing due to the circumstances and took appropriate actions. Possible remedy -- a carburetor ice detector (not just carburetor temperature gauge, which this aircraft has).

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ENG FAILURE CAUSED BY CARB ICE MAKES A FORCED EMER LNDG NECESSARY.

Narrative: PROBLEM BEGAN AT 300 FT AGL SHORTLY AFTER TKOF. ENG RUNUP NORMAL, ALL INDICATIONS IN ENG INSTS NORMAL. APPLIED FULL PWR, ACCELERATION NORMAL, ENG INSTS NORMAL. ONCE AIRBORNE, ENG RAN ROUGH, SUSPECTED CARB ICE BECAUSE THIS PARTICULAR MAKE/MODEL OF ACFT IS SUSCEPTIBLE, ESPECIALLY SO, TO CARB ICE EVEN WHEN CONDITIONS NON-FAVORABLE FOR CARB ICE. AWOS RPTED TEMP 18 DEGS AND DEWPOINT -11 DEG F (LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY). PULLED ON FULL CARB HEAT, ENG LOST ALL PWR, AND PWR WAS NOT REGAINED IN TIME TO PREVENT A FORCED LNDG. NOT ENOUGH RWY AHEAD REMAINING TO LAND AND WITH 90 DEG XWIND AND GUSTS, WOULD HAVE BEEN DIFFICULT WITH NO PWR. PLT ELECTED TO LAND ON A CLOSED RWY NOW USED AS A TAXIWAY, AS IT WAS ORIENTED INTO THE WIND AND AFFORDED MORE USEFUL DISTANCE TO LAND. SUCCESSFUL LNDG MADE AND ENG RUNUP WAS NORMAL AFTER LNDG. EXAMINED FOR OTHER POSSIBLE CAUSE OF ENG FAILURE, NON-OBVIOUS. PLT TAXIED FOR ANOTHER TKOF, ELECTED TO USE CARB HEAT AS PREVENTIVE MEASURE AND WAS SUCCESSFUL. REST OF FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL. POST-FLT DISCUSSION WITH OTHER PLTS REVEALED SIMILAR SITUATIONS, CARB ICE IN NON CARB ICE FAVORABLE CONDITIONS, WHEN CARB HEAT APPLIED, FULL LOSS OF PWR FOR AS LONG AS 40 SECONDS. ACFT, AN SMA. I BELIEVE PLT (ME) ACTED ACCORDINGLY, AND MADE SAFE LNDG DUE TO THE CIRCUMSTANCES AND TOOK APPROPRIATE ACTIONS. POSSIBLE REMEDY -- A CARB ICE DETECTOR (NOT JUST CARB TEMP GAUGE, WHICH THIS ACFT HAS).

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.