Amateur-built RV-6 N916BN accident near St. Maries, Idaho

Probable cause

A partial loss of engine power due to carburetor icing, which resulted from the pilot’s failure to apply carburetor heat.

NTSB analysis

The private pilot reported that, on short final to the runway, the engine lost partial power. The pilot then switched fuel tanks, activated the boost pump, and pumped the throttle, but engine power was not restored. The pilot subsequently landed in a field about 300 to 500 ft short of the runway, and the airplane nosed over.

Postaccident examination of the airplane and engine revealed no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot stated that he believed that the loss of power was due to carburetor ice because he might not have applied carburetor heat during the flight. The weather conditions at the time of the accident were conducive to moderate carburetor icing at cruise power settings and serious carburetor icing at descent power settings. It is likely that the loss of engine power resulted from carburetor icing due to the pilot's failure to apply carburetor heat.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for WPR16LA135 for the full record.