Globe GC-1B N80741 accident near Anderson, South Carolina

Probable cause

The total loss of engine power due to the formation of carburetor ice.

NTSB analysis

The pilot reported that about 3 hours into his cross-country flight the engine began to surge and lose power. He initially thought it was carburetor ice and turned on the carburetor heat. The carburetor heat seemed to improve engine performance briefly, but the engine began to surge again and eventually stopped running. The pilot made an emergency forced landing in a field with the landing gear up and flaps down, incurring substantial damage to the underside of the airplane. A postaccident examination of the fuel system revealed no blockage or contamination of the fuel. According to the Federal Aviation Administration’s carburetor icing probability chart, the temperature/dew point combination at the time of the accident met the conditions favoring formation of serious carburetor icing at cruise power. It is likely that the loss of engine power resulted from carburetor icing.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA11LA173 for the full record.