Narrative:

A C152 had just returned from a flight, went direct to the pumps -- full tanks. I took over the aircraft after about 5 mins. It still felt hot and all gauges were in the green. I did my preflight checks, including a physical of the tanks for water and full. I called for taxi and went briskly to the hold for runway 26. (I usually taxi with carburetor heat, but cannot remember if I did on this occasion.) I did my pretkof checks, including carburetor heat and magnetos -- all seemed normal. I departed runway 26. It was marginally sluggish, but I put this down to high moisture, wet grass, and the uphill slope. All seemed normal, if a bit sluggish. I climbed out on runway 26, changed to about 20 degree heading after about 1/2 mi for village noise abatement. At about 1 - 1 1/2 mi out and about 400-500 ft, the engine quit. There was no missing or change of engine note, just a dead stop. Having noticed a good field for efato on the climb out, I turned back through 130 degrees left, established myself on a diagonal base, put down 10 degree flaps, turned late final and landed about 18 degree heading (south). I checked the aircraft controls and found the mixture full weak. Pushed it forward full rich, got out, checked the 3 drains for water -- none was present. I then tried to start the engine. It ran 3 beats and stopped, and would not start when I tried again. I did nothing further to the aircraft. It was categorically stated by the management of the airplane club that it was carburetor ice. While I would agree that this was possible, the symptoms were not those you would expect. I enclose their report to the united kingdom caa. Takeoff checks were carried out, and even if the pilot was careless (myself) carburetor ice at this time would have caused a noticeable change in the idle speed, and rough running on magneto check. I would have reacted very strongly to this prompt. Takeoff power is an unusual environment for carburetor ice. Carburetor ice usually presents with a gradual decrease of power with irregular running. This was not in evidence. The possibilities were as I see it: 1) a piece of gum or cement in the carburetor temporarily stuck in the jet. 2) I pulled the mixture accidentally, and the evidence was masked by not having time to effect the efato checks, as I had to do the checks for efato landing and the mixture was pulled immediately as an inadvertent start and fire precaution. This cause very unlikely as I was not at circuit ht, and even as a be-kind-to-the-aircraft action it would have been impossible to do it without associating the cutout with the throttle action, and though I have been in the past taught to do this, I have not done so for many yrs. 3) it was carburetor ice and my being used to a heavy 40 hp motor glider had masked the performance deterioration. I have brought this to your attention as if it was indeed carburetor ice then none of us have any protection from the real possibility of an engine cutting on a cool moist autumn evening.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C152 PLT LOSES PWR AFTER TKOF AND MAKES AN OFF ARPT EMER LNDG NEAR THE DEP ARPT, A MIL GRASS SURFACED FIELD, JUST NW OF EGLL, FO.

Narrative: A C152 HAD JUST RETURNED FROM A FLT, WENT DIRECT TO THE PUMPS -- FULL TANKS. I TOOK OVER THE ACFT AFTER ABOUT 5 MINS. IT STILL FELT HOT AND ALL GAUGES WERE IN THE GREEN. I DID MY PREFLT CHKS, INCLUDING A PHYSICAL OF THE TANKS FOR WATER AND FULL. I CALLED FOR TAXI AND WENT BRISKLY TO THE HOLD FOR RWY 26. (I USUALLY TAXI WITH CARB HEAT, BUT CANNOT REMEMBER IF I DID ON THIS OCCASION.) I DID MY PRETKOF CHKS, INCLUDING CARB HEAT AND MAGNETOS -- ALL SEEMED NORMAL. I DEPARTED RWY 26. IT WAS MARGINALLY SLUGGISH, BUT I PUT THIS DOWN TO HIGH MOISTURE, WET GRASS, AND THE UPHILL SLOPE. ALL SEEMED NORMAL, IF A BIT SLUGGISH. I CLBED OUT ON RWY 26, CHANGED TO ABOUT 20 DEG HDG AFTER ABOUT 1/2 MI FOR VILLAGE NOISE ABATEMENT. AT ABOUT 1 - 1 1/2 MI OUT AND ABOUT 400-500 FT, THE ENG QUIT. THERE WAS NO MISSING OR CHANGE OF ENG NOTE, JUST A DEAD STOP. HAVING NOTICED A GOOD FIELD FOR EFATO ON THE CLBOUT, I TURNED BACK THROUGH 130 DEGS L, ESTABLISHED MYSELF ON A DIAGONAL BASE, PUT DOWN 10 DEG FLAPS, TURNED LATE FINAL AND LANDED ABOUT 18 DEG HDG (S). I CHKED THE ACFT CTLS AND FOUND THE MIXTURE FULL WEAK. PUSHED IT FORWARD FULL RICH, GOT OUT, CHKED THE 3 DRAINS FOR WATER -- NONE WAS PRESENT. I THEN TRIED TO START THE ENG. IT RAN 3 BEATS AND STOPPED, AND WOULD NOT START WHEN I TRIED AGAIN. I DID NOTHING FURTHER TO THE ACFT. IT WAS CATEGORICALLY STATED BY THE MGMNT OF THE AIRPLANE CLUB THAT IT WAS CARB ICE. WHILE I WOULD AGREE THAT THIS WAS POSSIBLE, THE SYMPTOMS WERE NOT THOSE YOU WOULD EXPECT. I ENCLOSE THEIR RPT TO THE UNITED KINGDOM CAA. TKOF CHKS WERE CARRIED OUT, AND EVEN IF THE PLT WAS CARELESS (MYSELF) CARB ICE AT THIS TIME WOULD HAVE CAUSED A NOTICEABLE CHANGE IN THE IDLE SPD, AND ROUGH RUNNING ON MAGNETO CHK. I WOULD HAVE REACTED VERY STRONGLY TO THIS PROMPT. TKOF PWR IS AN UNUSUAL ENVIRONMENT FOR CARB ICE. CARB ICE USUALLY PRESENTS WITH A GRADUAL DECREASE OF PWR WITH IRREGULAR RUNNING. THIS WAS NOT IN EVIDENCE. THE POSSIBILITIES WERE AS I SEE IT: 1) A PIECE OF GUM OR CEMENT IN THE CARB TEMPORARILY STUCK IN THE JET. 2) I PULLED THE MIXTURE ACCIDENTALLY, AND THE EVIDENCE WAS MASKED BY NOT HAVING TIME TO EFFECT THE EFATO CHKS, AS I HAD TO DO THE CHKS FOR EFATO LNDG AND THE MIXTURE WAS PULLED IMMEDIATELY AS AN INADVERTENT START AND FIRE PRECAUTION. THIS CAUSE VERY UNLIKELY AS I WAS NOT AT CIRCUIT HT, AND EVEN AS A BE-KIND-TO-THE-ACFT ACTION IT WOULD HAVE BEEN IMPOSSIBLE TO DO IT WITHOUT ASSOCIATING THE CUTOUT WITH THE THROTTLE ACTION, AND THOUGH I HAVE BEEN IN THE PAST TAUGHT TO DO THIS, I HAVE NOT DONE SO FOR MANY YRS. 3) IT WAS CARB ICE AND MY BEING USED TO A HVY 40 HP MOTOR GLIDER HAD MASKED THE PERFORMANCE DETERIORATION. I HAVE BROUGHT THIS TO YOUR ATTN AS IF IT WAS INDEED CARB ICE THEN NONE OF US HAVE ANY PROTECTION FROM THE REAL POSSIBILITY OF AN ENG CUTTING ON A COOL MOIST AUTUMN EVENING.

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.