Cessna 152 N89904 accident near Cullman, Alabama

Probable cause

The pilot’s inadvertent engine shutdown due to excessive leaning of the engine and his subsequent inability to restart the engine.

NTSB analysis

After reaching a cruise altitude about 2,500 ft above ground level, the private pilot pulled the engine mixture control toward the lean position too far, and the engine lost total power. The pilot pushed the engine mixture control to the full rich position and attempted unsuccessfully to restart the engine. After one restart attempt, he chose to execute a forced landing, during which the airplane nosed over and sustained damage to the right wing.

Postaccident examination and an engine test run revealed no evidence of preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot did not activate carburetor heat during the flight or after the engine lost power. At the time of the power loss, nearby weather was conducive to the formation of serious carburetor ice at descent power; however, because of the airplane’s altitude and the limited amount of time available, the investigation could not determine whether carburetor icing contributed to his inability to restart the engine. It is likely that the pilot leaned the mixture too much, which resulted in the engine losing total power.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN18LA151 for the full record.