ANC25LA019

The pilot reported that, while performing touch-and-go landings, on final approach with the carburetor heat on, the airplane’s engine suddenly lost total power. After assessing that the airplane had insufficient altitude to glide to the runway, the pilot selected nearby hay flats as a forced landing site. During the forced landing, the right main landing gear collapsed, and the airplane’s right wing impacted terrain, resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage and right wing. A postaccident examination of the engine, including the carburetor heat control, revealed no evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunction or failure that would have precluded normal operation. Fuel was recovered from both wing fuel tanks and the fuselage sump drains. Although the atmospheric conditions in which the airplane was operating were conducive to the formation of carburetor icing at glide and cruise power settings, the pilot’s reported use of carburetor heat during the approach would have prevented the accumulation of carburetor ice. Based on this information, the reason for the loss of engine power could not be determined.

On February 20, 2025, about 1642 Alaska standard time, a Piper PA-18-150 airplane, N2447J, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Wasilla, Alaska. The pilot was uninjured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. According to the pilot, he departed Tidewater Airport (77AK) about 1500 and flew the airplane to a different airport and completed about 15 practice landings. He then flew back to 77AK, where he landed then decided to depart again to practice touch-and-go landings. He stated that, during final approach to runway 01 with the carburetor heat on, the airplane’s engine suddenly lost total power when the airplane was about 400 to 450 ft above ground level. After assessing that the airplane had insufficient altitude to glide to the runway, the pilot selected nearby hay flats as a forced landing site. During the forced landing, the right main landing gear collapsed, and the airplane’s right wing impacted terrain, resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage and right wing. The pilot reported that, after the accident, he observed fuel leaking from the damaged right wing, so he positioned the fuel selector to the left tank to stop some of the fuel from leaking out. A postaccident examination of the engine revealed no evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunction or failure that would have precluded normal operation. The examination included disassembly of the carburetor heat control cable with no discrepancy noted. About 8 gallons of fuel was recovered from the left wing, about 14.5 gallons was recovered from the right wing, and about 2.5 gallons was recovered from the fuselage sump drains. The recorded temperature and dew point near the accident site were about 39°F and 19°F, respectively. A review of the Carburetor Icing Probability Chart located in the FAA’s Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB) CE-09-35, Carburetor Icing Prevention, dated June 30, 2009, indicated that these conditions were conducive to the formation of carburetor icing at glide and cruise power settings. The SAIB stated that, to prevent carburetor icing, the pilot should assure the proper functionality of the carburetor heat during the before takeoff check and use carburetor heat on approach and descent when operating at low power settings or in conditions where carburetor icing is probable.