Piper J3F 65 N29042 accident near Strasburg, Colorado

Probable cause

A partial loss of engine power due to carburetor ice accumulation.

NTSB analysis

The private pilot reported that he departed an airport with full gas and headed east to another airport to perform a touch-and-go landing. After the touch-and-go landing, the engine "never really seemed to perform" on climbout. He attempted to restore power without success, and the airplane began descending. The pilot conducted a forced landing to a field, where the airplane nosed over and sustained substantial damage to the left wing and fuselage. The weather conditions at the time of the accident were conducive to serious carburetor icing at a descent power setting. The loss of engine power likely occurred due to the accumulation of carburetor ice during the descent. The formation of ice would reduce rpm but might not result in rough engine operation. Thus, the reduction in rpm could have gone unnoticed given the typical engine power setting changes when the airplane was on approach for the touch and go.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN16LA239 for the full record.