Piper J3 pilot has malfunctioning engine; attempts emergency landing and recovers engine power.

Attributes
ACN	713794
Time
Date	200610
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	navaid : zzz.vortac
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 1000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC VMC
Weather Elements	Fog Ice
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Piper Single Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 2000 flight time type : 100
ASRS Report	713794
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical inflight encounter : weather
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : overcame equipment problem
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Weather Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

While shooting photos of boat on the river that was cruising in and out of fog; my engine began to lose power although I had small amount of carburetor heat on. I had been staying high enough to land somewhere if engine quit; but as the engine wound down I realized fog had drifted over my 'emergency landing field' area. After assessing the problem at hand and trying to get it to run again; I realized that I might be able to get to a rock bar on the river and if not; I would go into the water next to the boat. I had camping gear in the plane and started throwing it out in an attempt to stretch the glide. The few people on the boat must have thought I was nuts. Then as I went below the bow or deck level of the boat; the engine started gaining power and came back to full power with the gear 1 ft from the water and rocks. Believe it was carburetor ice and further application of full carburetor heat solved the problem. Could not find any problems with aircraft.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PIPER J3 PLT HAS MALFUNCTIONING ENG; ATTEMPTS EMER LNDG AND RECOVERS ENG PWR.

Narrative: WHILE SHOOTING PHOTOS OF BOAT ON THE RIVER THAT WAS CRUISING IN AND OUT OF FOG; MY ENG BEGAN TO LOSE PWR ALTHOUGH I HAD SMALL AMOUNT OF CARB HEAT ON. I HAD BEEN STAYING HIGH ENOUGH TO LAND SOMEWHERE IF ENG QUIT; BUT AS THE ENG WOUND DOWN I REALIZED FOG HAD DRIFTED OVER MY 'EMER LNDG FIELD' AREA. AFTER ASSESSING THE PROB AT HAND AND TRYING TO GET IT TO RUN AGAIN; I REALIZED THAT I MIGHT BE ABLE TO GET TO A ROCK BAR ON THE RIVER AND IF NOT; I WOULD GO INTO THE WATER NEXT TO THE BOAT. I HAD CAMPING GEAR IN THE PLANE AND STARTED THROWING IT OUT IN AN ATTEMPT TO STRETCH THE GLIDE. THE FEW PEOPLE ON THE BOAT MUST HAVE THOUGHT I WAS NUTS. THEN AS I WENT BELOW THE BOW OR DECK LEVEL OF THE BOAT; THE ENG STARTED GAINING PWR AND CAME BACK TO FULL PWR WITH THE GEAR 1 FT FROM THE WATER AND ROCKS. BELIEVE IT WAS CARB ICE AND FURTHER APPLICATION OF FULL CARB HEAT SOLVED THE PROB. COULD NOT FIND ANY PROBS WITH ACFT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.