Amateur-built SEAREY N907CB accident near Englewood, Florida

Probable cause

The partial loss of engine power due to carburetor icing.

NTSB analysis

The student pilot of the experimental, amateur-built airplane reported that he performed an engine run-up at 3,500 rpm along the entire length of the runway and then turned around for takeoff in the opposite direction. After rotation, the engine lost partial power. The airplane descended and struck a tree at the end of the runway before coming to rest in grass near the runway end. The fuselage and left wing sustained substantial damage.

Postaccident examination of the engine revealed no evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. The atmospheric conditions at the time of the accident were conducive to the accumulation of serious carburetor icing at glide power and icing at glide and cruise power. The engine was not equipped with a carburetor heat system. Therefore, it is likely that the carburetor accumulated ice during ground operations, which resulted in the partial loss of engine power during the subsequent climb.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA18LA162 for the full record.