What happened
The pilot was descending from 5,000 feet using reduced power settings. During this descent, the pilot did not engage the carburetor heat. Upon reaching 3,500 feet, the pilot attempted to advance the throttle; however, the engine failed to accelerate and subsequently ceased producing all power.
Despite the pilot's attempts to implement corrective measures, the engine remained inoperative. The pilot was forced to perform an emergency landing, during which the left wing of the aircraft struck a tree. The pilot reported that both the fuel quantity gauge and the fuel pressure gauge were indicating normal operation prior to the impact with the tree.
The investigation
Post-accident examination of the fuel system revealed that no fuel was present in the system at the time of inspection. However, investigators noted that the carburetor had been broken open due to the force of the ground impact. Analysis of the atmospheric conditions via the icing probability chart indicated that the temperature and dew point were within the range conducive to serious carburetor icing when operating at glide power.