Incident Report
On October 31, 1988, a pilot obtained weather information and filed an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan from Vero Beach, Florida, to Huntsville, Alabama. At approximately 1513 Eastern Standard Time, the pilot contacted air traffic control (ATC) and reported climbing through 1,500 feet for 3,000 feet. About 2.4 hours later, the pilot reported a loss of engine power. ATC provided vectors toward an airport, but radar contact was lost approximately 13 miles south of Alexander City, Alabama.
Search and Recovery
The aircraft was missing until November 16, 1990, when it was found where it had sunk in 65 feet of water in Martin Lake. No preimpact part failure or malfunction was found that would have resulted in the accident.
Examination
The engine was removed and tested on a test stand with the original accessories installed; it operated normally. Personnel at the departure airport indicated that the aircraft would normally have been serviced with the standard ramp capacity of 50 gallons of fuel. Estimated fuel consumption was about 10.5 gallons per hour; however, refueling records did not verify when the aircraft was last refueled.
Fuel and Weather Considerations
The weather conditions at the time were reported to be conducive to carburetor icing.