Incident Summary
During a personal flight, an aircraft made a forced landing that resulted in a collision with a fence and two parked cars. The pilot had declared an emergency after the engine suddenly lost power and fuel flow.
Pilot Report
The pilot reported that after a 40- to 50-minute ground delay, the aircraft made a normal climb to 5,000 feet MSL. At that altitude, the pilot trimmed the aircraft and leaned the mixture to 75 percent power. Shortly after leveling off, the engine lost power and fuel flow. The pilot declared an emergency and requested vectors to the nearest airport. When the aircraft exited the overcast at approximately 1,000 feet MSL, the pilot could not establish visual contact with the airport and elected to land in a parking lot.
Examination Findings
Examination of the engine revealed water around the alternate air source door, and the air filter was found to be frozen and clogged with ice.
Weather Conditions
A SIGMET was in effect at the time of the accident, calling for severe icing in clouds and precipitation from the surface to 12,000 feet MSL.