WPR22LA089

The total loss of engine power due to carburetor ice.

During a local area flight, while the airplane was in cruise flight at an altitude of about 9,000 ft mean sea level over mountainous terrain, the engine lost power. The pilot attempted to troubleshoot the problem, but he was unable to restore engine power. As a result, the pilot initiated a forced landing to a snowcovered field. During the landing roll, the main landing gear tires settled into the snow, and the airplane nosed over and came to rest inverted. The vertical stabilizer, rudder, and right-wing lift strut were substantially damaged. The pilot reported that his postaccident examination of the engine and airframe found no mechanical issues. The pilot thought that the airplane “flew through a layer” that “had the right temperatures that would have quickly developed carburetor ice.”

On January 30, 2022, about 1430 mountain standard time, an experimental amateurbuilt Just Aircraft Superstol, N8794G, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Ketchum, Idaho. The pilot was not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.    The pilot reported that the engine lost total power while the airplane was in cruise flight at an altitude of about 9,000 ft mean sea level (about 1,500 to 2,000 ft above ground level) over mountainous terrain. The pilot switched fuel tanks and applied carburetor heat but was unable to restore engine power. As a result, the pilot initiated a forced landing to a snow-covered field. During the landing roll, the main landing gear tires settled into the snow, and the airplane nosed over. The pilot’s postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the vertical stabilizer, rudder, and right-wing lift strut were structurally damaged. The pilot later reported that he thought the loss of engine power was due to carburetor ice. The pilot added that he examined the engine and observed no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot stated that the airplane had “flown through a layer” that “had the right temperatures that would have quickly developed carburetor ice, which led to the loss of engine power.”