C150 pilots had an engine failure after turning on the carburetor heat.

Attributes
ACN	629632
Time
Date	200408
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ict.airport
State Reference	KS
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : ict.tracon
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Cessna 150
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 60 flight time total : 700 flight time type : 55
ASRS Report	629632
Person 2
Affiliation	other
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 96 flight time total : 1775 flight time type : 150
ASRS Report	629631
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	faa : investigated faa : reviewed incident with flight crew other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Aircraft
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

This was a flight from vernon, tx, to wichita, ks. There were 2 people on board the aircraft of which both of us are pilots and of which both flew the trip. I flew the first half of the trip and the other pilot flew the other half. Upon arrival at the destination airport, the other pilot handed the controls over to me to make the landing since he was flying from the right seat. I had took over the airplane on final approach approximately 2 mi from the airport on final approach for runway 1L at wichita, ks. I first initiated carburetor heat on then started a reduction in power to descend for the runway. At that time the engine started to lose power and subsequently died. I set up for a landing on a dirt road that I could see. The other pilot said he could see a clear field off to his right since he was sitting in the right seat and took the controls at that time and landed the airplane in the field uneventfully. No damage to the aircraft, property, or personal injury occurred. The cause of engine failure was undetermined. The FAA investigator and mechanic looked at the airplane and could find nothing wrong and came up with a probable cause of possible carburetor icing since no discrepancies were found. The only thing the investigator found was a few droplets of water in the right tank of which he said was not negligible. There was no water found in fuel on preflight sumping of the tanks prior to the flight. There was no reduction in RPM's during the flight to suspect carburetor icing from both pilots view. The FAA issued the airplane as being safe to fly and was flown out that day from a road nearby. Supplemental information from acn 629631: on the descent he first pulled the carburetor heat then reduced power for the landing phase. Shortly after, the engine sputtered and then quit. He picked a road but it had power lines on it. But from the right seat I could see a field that looked like a better landing sight, so I took controls back over and made an uneventful landing in the field.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C150 PLTS HAD AN ENG FAILURE AFTER TURNING ON THE CARB HEAT.

Narrative: THIS WAS A FLT FROM VERNON, TX, TO WICHITA, KS. THERE WERE 2 PEOPLE ON BOARD THE ACFT OF WHICH BOTH OF US ARE PLTS AND OF WHICH BOTH FLEW THE TRIP. I FLEW THE FIRST HALF OF THE TRIP AND THE OTHER PLT FLEW THE OTHER HALF. UPON ARR AT THE DEST ARPT, THE OTHER PLT HANDED THE CTLS OVER TO ME TO MAKE THE LNDG SINCE HE WAS FLYING FROM THE R SEAT. I HAD TOOK OVER THE AIRPLANE ON FINAL APCH APPROX 2 MI FROM THE ARPT ON FINAL APCH FOR RWY 1L AT WICHITA, KS. I FIRST INITIATED CARB HEAT ON THEN STARTED A REDUCTION IN PWR TO DSND FOR THE RWY. AT THAT TIME THE ENG STARTED TO LOSE PWR AND SUBSEQUENTLY DIED. I SET UP FOR A LNDG ON A DIRT ROAD THAT I COULD SEE. THE OTHER PLT SAID HE COULD SEE A CLR FIELD OFF TO HIS R SINCE HE WAS SITTING IN THE R SEAT AND TOOK THE CTLS AT THAT TIME AND LANDED THE AIRPLANE IN THE FIELD UNEVENTFULLY. NO DAMAGE TO THE ACFT, PROPERTY, OR PERSONAL INJURY OCCURRED. THE CAUSE OF ENG FAILURE WAS UNDETERMINED. THE FAA INVESTIGATOR AND MECH LOOKED AT THE AIRPLANE AND COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG AND CAME UP WITH A PROBABLE CAUSE OF POSSIBLE CARB ICING SINCE NO DISCREPANCIES WERE FOUND. THE ONLY THING THE INVESTIGATOR FOUND WAS A FEW DROPLETS OF WATER IN THE R TANK OF WHICH HE SAID WAS NOT NEGLIGIBLE. THERE WAS NO WATER FOUND IN FUEL ON PREFLT SUMPING OF THE TANKS PRIOR TO THE FLT. THERE WAS NO REDUCTION IN RPM'S DURING THE FLT TO SUSPECT CARB ICING FROM BOTH PLTS VIEW. THE FAA ISSUED THE AIRPLANE AS BEING SAFE TO FLY AND WAS FLOWN OUT THAT DAY FROM A ROAD NEARBY. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 629631: ON THE DSCNT HE FIRST PULLED THE CARB HEAT THEN REDUCED PWR FOR THE LNDG PHASE. SHORTLY AFTER, THE ENG SPUTTERED AND THEN QUIT. HE PICKED A ROAD BUT IT HAD PWR LINES ON IT. BUT FROM THE R SEAT I COULD SEE A FIELD THAT LOOKED LIKE A BETTER LNDG SIGHT, SO I TOOK CTLS BACK OVER AND MADE AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG IN THE FIELD.

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.