CEN16LA166

During a local flight, the pilot noticed a "miss" in the engine, and observed a gradual loss of power. The pilot advanced the throttle, verified the positions of the mixture control and fuel selector, and briefly applied carburetor heat; however, the engine did not respond, and the pilot turned the carburetor heat control off. The pilot elected to perform a forced landing to a nearby field. Examination of the airplane did not reveal any anomalies. Although the airplane was operating in an area that was conducive to the serious risk of carburetor ice accumulation at a glide power setting, the engine was operating at a cruise power setting at the time of the loss of power. However, had the carburetor accumulated ice, the pilot's brief activation of the carburetor heat would have been insufficient to remedy the situation.

On April 23, 2016, about 1300 central daylight time, a Cessna 172B airplane, N7614X, conducted a forced landing near Brimfield, Illinois. The private rated pilot and passenger were not injured, and the airplane was substantially damaged during the accident. The airplane was registered to and operated by a private individual, under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The pilot reported that during cruise flight, the engine developed a noticeable "miss"; the engine rpms then slowly decreased. The pilot advanced the throttle, with limited effect. He then preformed a magneto check, verified the fuel valve, and mixture control positions. Followed by applying carburetor heat on, then off, without the engine responding. The pilot then selected a field for the forced landing. During the forced landings the airplanes nose gear dug into the dirt, and the airplane nosed over, coming to rest inverted. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings and fuselage during the accident. An inspection of the engine by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector did not reveal any abnormalities. The automated weather observation facility station, located at the General Downing - Peoria International Airport, Peoria, Illinois at 1254, recorded: wind from 050 degrees at 7 knots, 10 miles visibility, a clear sky, temperature 63 degrees Fahrenheit (F), dew point 42 F, and a barometric pressure of 30.15 inches of mercury. The automated weather observation facility station located at the Galesburg Municipal Airport Galesburg, Illinois recorded at 1315, a temperature of 63 degrees (F), and a dew point of 44 F. The carburetor icing probability chart included in Federal Aviation Administration Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin No. CE-09-35, Carburetor Icing Prevention, indicated that the airplane was operating in an area that was associated with a serious risk of carburetor ice accumulation at glide power settings. In December 2013, the NTSB issued Safety Alert (SA-029) "Engine power loss due to Carburetor Icing", which emphasized that recognizing weather conditions and applying simple procedures can prevent accidents.