Flight and Icing Encounter
At approximately 1239 Pacific Daylight Time, a single-engine aircraft was on an IFR cross-country flight at 14,000 feet when it encountered icing conditions. Over the next 1.4 hours, the pilot changed altitude in increments, initially climbing to 17,000 feet and later descending to 11,000 feet in an attempt to avoid the icing.
Engine Power Loss and Emergency Landing
At about 1411 PDT, the pilot indicated that the engine had lost power and subsequently reported that the propeller was windmilling. At that time, the aircraft was still approximately 20 to 30 miles from its destination. The pilot was unable to glide to an airport. During the ensuing emergency landing, the left wing struck a tree, and the aircraft crashed.
Post-Accident Examination
After the accident, the fuel selector was found positioned to feed from the right tank, but that tank contained no fuel. Only about one quart of fuel was found in the right auxiliary tank. The left fuel tanks had ruptured and were empty, but no evidence of fuel spillage was found at the accident site.