BFO96LA016

The pilot reported that the airplane was in cruise flight at 600 feet above the ground, when the engine lost power. He chose a field in front of the airplane for a forced landing, and the airplane touched down between 50 and 60 MPH. The pilot reported that when he applied brakes after touchdown, the airplane began to slide. Subsequently, it went across a road, impacted trees, and came to rest in a creek bed. The pilot stated that the airplane's engine restarted during the landing roll. No preimpact mechanical failure was found. The pilot stated that he believed the loss of engine power was the result of carburetor icing. The temperature and dew point were 44 and 42 degrees F, respectively. Icing probability charts showed that conditions were conducive for carburetor ice.

On Tuesday, November 7, 1995, at 1035 eastern standard time, a Ryan "Navion" A3, N116JM, struck several trees and a creek bed following a forced landing near McComb, Ohio. The certificated private pilot, the sole occupant, received serious injuries, and the airplane was destroyed. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident, no flight plan was filed. The flight operated under 14 CFR Part 91, and originated from Henry County, Ohio, at approximately 1015, with an intended destination of Marion, Ohio.

During postaccident interviews, the pilot reported that the airplane was in cruise flight at about 600 feet above the ground, when the engine lost power. The pilot stated that he "...put the [carburetor] heat back on, [the landing] gear down, the fuel pump on, and picked out a field." He reported that the airplane touched down "...under control..." at about 60 knots, but it started to slide towards a building when he applied the brakes. The pilot reported that he swerved to avoid the building, and the airplane crossed a road (State Road 613), a field, then struck several trees and came to rest in a creek bed. The pilot reported that during the forced landing the "...brakes were ineffective, [the] engine restarted which allowed [the] airplane to miss a building and hop over a road."

The straight line distance from the initial touchdown point to State Road 613, as measured by the Ohio State Police, is 1,667 feet. The distance from the point where the airplane entered the highway to the point where the airplane came to rest is an additional 991 feet. One witness stated that the "...airplane [appeared to be] trying to take off. [The] tail was dragging, but if he had a couple more RPM, he would have taken off." Another witness stated that "...he kept trying to take off, but couldn't, because he kept dragging his tail. He kept on going up and down." A third witness estimated that the airplane was traveling about "...40 to 50 [miles per hour] across the road..." and stated that the airplane engine was "...roaring." A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Inspector who examined the airplane's ground track, stated that there was "...no evidence of braking." Postaccident examination revealed no evidence of preimpact mechanical anomaly.

The pilot stated that he believed that the loss of engine power was the result of carburetor icing. A carburetor icing probability chart prepared by the FAA is appended.