Amateur-built BREEZY N6155M accident near Laneville, Texas

Probable cause

A loss of engine power due to carburetor ice.

NTSB analysis

The pilot reported that the airplane’s engine lost power during cruise flight. He increased the mixture and manipulated the throttle to no avail. He chose a field for a forced landing, but at the last minute, he saw a barbed wire fence in the flight path. The pilot did not want the open-cockpit airplane to hit the barbed wire fence directly, so he pulled back on the control column in an attempt to clear the fence. The airplane then "pancaked" to the ground. A postaccident examination of the airplane and engine did not reveal any failures or malfunctions that would have resulted in the loss of engine power. The closest recorded temperature and dewpoint were conducive for carburetor icing conditions at glide and cruise power.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN12LA257 for the full record.