What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Aircraft departed south lakeland airport (X49) runway 32 enroute to pine mountain, ga (X40).
Pilots state that approximately 45 minutes in to the flight while cruising at 1500? AGL the engine began running rough and losing power.
They stated that they applied carb heat for a few seconds with no help so they turned carb heat off.
They stated that they switched fuel tanks with no help as well as cycling the mixture, throttle, and primer.
The pilots landed in an open field with an access road dividing the field.
During the landing the aircraft jumped over the road gaining enough altitude for the propeller to strike a low power line.
The aircraft came to rest in the field sustaining substantial damage.
The aircraft was recovered on September 22, 2014 and moved back to the registered owners hangar at X49 for investigation.
Inspection of the aircraft revealed the following:
General condition of the aircraft is substantial damage.
Left wing is broken off at the outer wing panel attatch point approximately 4 feet in from the wing tip.
Right wing sustained damage at the same point but was not broken off.
Right landing gear and nose landing gear were sheared off during the landing.
Fuselage aft frame at vertical fin attach point is bent forward and fuselage skin wrinkled.
Rudder and vertical stabilizer appeared normal.
Engine control continuity verified
Engine inspection revealed valid gear train continuity, valve train continuity, and compression present in all cylinders. Spark plugs appeared to indicate a normally running engine.
There did not appear to be blockage in the carburator venturi.
Magnetos were removed to verify rotation and appeared normal. Tested magnetos, both produced spark.
Propeller is a fixed pitch type and had minor damage on one blade from impact with power line.
Approximately 25 gallons of fuel were recovered from aircraft.
Annual inspection on 01/01/2014
Acft tt 1579.72
Aircraft records and logs were inspected on 09/30/2014
Temperature, dew point, and relative humidity for the area of the accident flight was obtained through noaa web site.
A carburetor icing probability chart was used to determine if carburetor icing may have been present.
The carburetor icing probability chart demonstrates that this aircraft was in weather conducive to carburetor icing.
No further entries
As the FAA filed it
AIRCRAFT DEPARTED SOUTH LAKELAND AIRPORT (X49) RUNWAY 32 ENROUTE TO PINE MOUNTAIN, GA (X40).
PILOTS STATE THAT APPROXIMATELY 45 MINUTES IN TO THE FLIGHT WHILE CRUISING AT 1500? AGL THE ENGINE BEGAN RUNNING ROUGH AND LOSING POWER.
THEY STATED THAT THEY APPLIED CARB HEAT FOR A FEW SECONDS WITH NO HELP SO THEY TURNED CARB HEAT OFF.
THEY STATED THAT THEY SWITCHED FUEL TANKS WITH NO HELP AS WELL AS CYCLING THE MIXTURE, THROTTLE, AND PRIMER.
THE PILOTS LANDED IN AN OPEN FIELD WITH AN ACCESS ROAD DIVIDING THE FIELD.
DURING THE LANDING THE AIRCRAFT JUMPED OVER THE ROAD GAINING ENOUGH ALTITUDE FOR THE PROPELLER TO STRIKE A LOW POWER LINE.
THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST IN THE FIELD SUSTAINING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE.
THE AIRCRAFT WAS RECOVERED ON SEPTEMBER 22, 2014 AND MOVED BACK TO THE REGISTERED OWNERS HANGAR AT X49 FOR INVESTIGATION.
INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT REVEALED THE FOLLOWING:
GENERAL CONDITION OF THE AIRCRAFT IS SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE.
LEFT WING IS BROKEN OFF AT THE OUTER WING PANEL ATTATCH POINT APPROXIMATELY 4 FEET IN FROM THE WING TIP.
RIGHT WING SUSTAINED DAMAGE AT THE SAME POINT BUT WAS NOT BROKEN OFF.
RIGHT LANDING GEAR AND NOSE LANDING GEAR WERE SHEARED OFF DURING THE LANDING.
FUSELAGE AFT FRAME AT VERTICAL FIN ATTACH POINT IS BENT FORWARD AND FUSELAGE SKIN WRINKLED.
RUDDER AND VERTICAL STABILIZER APPEARED NORMAL.
ENGINE CONTROL CONTINUITY VERIFIED
ENGINE INSPECTION REVEALED VALID GEAR TRAIN CONTINUITY, VALVE TRAIN CONTINUITY, AND COMPRESSION PRESENT IN ALL CYLINDERS. SPARK PLUGS APPEARED TO INDICATE A NORMALLY RUNNING ENGINE.
THERE DID NOT APPEAR TO BE BLOCKAGE IN THE CARBURATOR VENTURI.
MAGNETOS WERE REMOVED TO VERIFY ROTATION AND APPEARED NORMAL. TESTED MAGNETOS, BOTH PRODUCED SPARK.
PROPELLER IS A FIXED PITCH TYPE AND HAD MINOR DAMAGE ON ONE BLADE FROM IMPACT WITH POWER LINE.
APPROXIMATELY 25 GALLONS OF FUEL WERE RECOVERED FROM AIRCRAFT.
ANNUAL INSPECTION ON 01/01/2014
ACFT TT 1579.72
AIRCRAFT RECORDS AND LOGS WERE INSPECTED ON 09/30/2014
TEMPERATURE, DEW POINT, AND RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOR THE AREA OF THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT WAS OBTAINED THROUGH NOAA WEB SITE.
A CARBURETOR ICING PROBABILITY CHART WAS USED TO DETERMINE IF CARBURETOR ICING MAY HAVE BEEN PRESENT.
THE CARBURETOR ICING PROBABILITY CHART DEMONSTRATES THAT THIS AIRCRAFT WAS IN WEATHER CONDUCIVE TO CARBURETOR ICING.
NO FURTHER ENTRIES
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.