Cessna 182A N6061B accident near Lexington, Texas

Probable cause

The pilot’s improper use of the carburetor heat, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to carburetor icing.

NTSB analysis

The pilot reported that, during the descent, he applied carburetor heat but that he then removed carburetor heat when leveling off. The pilot reduced the throttle to slow the airplane while on final approach. When he advanced the throttle to maintain airspeed, the engine power did not increase; the pilot was unable to restore full engine power. The engine subsequently lost all power when the pilot applied carburetor heat. During the forced landing to a field, the nose landing gear and propeller contacted a barbed wire fence, and the airplane then nosed down, impacted the ground, and nosed over. A postaccident examination revealed no mechanical failures that would have resulted in the loss of engine power. The atmospheric conditions at the time of the accident were conducive to the formation of serious carburetor icing at glide power. It is likely that carburetor ice developed after the pilot reduced the engine power/closed the throttle while in the traffic pattern without applying carburetor heat, which resulted in a loss of engine power. The manufacturer's before landing checklist states to apply carburetor heat before closing the throttle.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN14LA133 for the full record.