Narrative:

The flight was to be a practice flight to acquaint ourselves to our new hand-held GPS navigator. The aircraft involved was a 1969 cessna 150 fitted with a cruise propeller. A complete preflight inspection was performed on the aircraft. The sumps and strainer were drained. A sample from each was collected and fuel color and lack of contamination was verified. No water was present in any samples. We taxied to the end of the runway 5 since the wind was out of the northeast at approximately 5 KTS. A run-up check was performed. Mixture was full rich, the magnetos and carburetor heat tests appeared normal. Magnetos were reset to both for takeoff. The takeoff roll progressed well, although the acceleration felt sluggish. I was expecting this since I have been regularly flying the cessna 172 and their acceleration is more brisk when there are only 2 aboard. Rotation came at 60 mph and initial climb established at approximately 65 mph. I reduced the climb angle to increase airspeed to approximately 70 mph when I was approximately 100 ft AGL. At approximately 150 ft AGL and close to the runway intersection (32-14) the engine appeared to lose power and the aircraft stopped climbing. My initial thought was to land on runway 32 so I reduced power. Considering the tailwind component and my ht I felt that I would not be able to land on the available runway. I re-applied power in the hopes that I could use partial power to slow or arrest the descent and make my way back to runway 5. At this point I declared an emergency and was cleared to land on any runway. Partial power was maintained through an abbreviated left downwind and I was able to land on runway 5. Once on the ground, the engine appeared to run normally. During the flight, my primary focus was on airspeed and altitude. I did not check the tachometer to verify a power loss and did not think to engage the carburetor heat. The FBO that I rented from checked the aircraft and it did not appear to have any problems with the engine. I suspect that either some water in the fuel tanks was dislodged during the takeoff roll or that carburetor ice formed. The temperature was approximately 80 degrees F and humidity approximately 90 percent.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT EQUIP PROB. POSSIBLE PWR LOSS CARB ICING.

Narrative: THE FLT WAS TO BE A PRACTICE FLT TO ACQUAINT OURSELVES TO OUR NEW HAND-HELD GPS NAVIGATOR. THE ACFT INVOLVED WAS A 1969 CESSNA 150 FITTED WITH A CRUISE PROP. A COMPLETE PREFLT INSPECTION WAS PERFORMED ON THE ACFT. THE SUMPS AND STRAINER WERE DRAINED. A SAMPLE FROM EACH WAS COLLECTED AND FUEL COLOR AND LACK OF CONTAMINATION WAS VERIFIED. NO WATER WAS PRESENT IN ANY SAMPLES. WE TAXIED TO THE END OF THE RWY 5 SINCE THE WIND WAS OUT OF THE NE AT APPROX 5 KTS. A RUN-UP CHK WAS PERFORMED. MIXTURE WAS FULL RICH, THE MAGNETOS AND CARB HEAT TESTS APPEARED NORMAL. MAGNETOS WERE RESET TO BOTH FOR TKOF. THE TKOF ROLL PROGRESSED WELL, ALTHOUGH THE ACCELERATION FELT SLUGGISH. I WAS EXPECTING THIS SINCE I HAVE BEEN REGULARLY FLYING THE CESSNA 172 AND THEIR ACCELERATION IS MORE BRISK WHEN THERE ARE ONLY 2 ABOARD. ROTATION CAME AT 60 MPH AND INITIAL CLB ESTABLISHED AT APPROX 65 MPH. I REDUCED THE CLB ANGLE TO INCREASE AIRSPD TO APPROX 70 MPH WHEN I WAS APPROX 100 FT AGL. AT APPROX 150 FT AGL AND CLOSE TO THE RWY INTXN (32-14) THE ENG APPEARED TO LOSE PWR AND THE ACFT STOPPED CLBING. MY INITIAL THOUGHT WAS TO LAND ON RWY 32 SO I REDUCED PWR. CONSIDERING THE TAILWIND COMPONENT AND MY HT I FELT THAT I WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO LAND ON THE AVAILABLE RWY. I RE-APPLIED PWR IN THE HOPES THAT I COULD USE PARTIAL PWR TO SLOW OR ARREST THE DSCNT AND MAKE MY WAY BACK TO RWY 5. AT THIS POINT I DECLARED AN EMER AND WAS CLRED TO LAND ON ANY RWY. PARTIAL PWR WAS MAINTAINED THROUGH AN ABBREVIATED L DOWNWIND AND I WAS ABLE TO LAND ON RWY 5. ONCE ON THE GND, THE ENG APPEARED TO RUN NORMALLY. DURING THE FLT, MY PRIMARY FOCUS WAS ON AIRSPD AND ALT. I DID NOT CHK THE TACHOMETER TO VERIFY A PWR LOSS AND DID NOT THINK TO ENGAGE THE CARB HEAT. THE FBO THAT I RENTED FROM CHKED THE ACFT AND IT DID NOT APPEAR TO HAVE ANY PROBS WITH THE ENG. I SUSPECT THAT EITHER SOME WATER IN THE FUEL TANKS WAS DISLODGED DURING THE TKOF ROLL OR THAT CARB ICE FORMED. THE TEMP WAS APPROX 80 DEGS F AND HUMIDITY APPROX 90 PERCENT.

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.