On May 2, 1991, a Maule M-4-220C (registration N40676) operated by James D. Ferry was involved in an aviation accident near Beluga, AK. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to use carburetor heat prior to reducing power, which resulted in carburetor icing and subsequent engine failure. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
A pilot experienced an engine failure while adding power to resume flight after a low pass over a snow-covered strip. No suitable forced landing area was available, and the pilot did not recall using carburetor heat before the incident.
What happened
The pilot reported that he had reduced engine power to idle while performing a low pass over a snow-covered strip. When he attempted to add power to resume normal flight operations, the engine failed unexpectedly. At the time of the failure, there was no suitable area available for a forced landing.
The investigation
During the review of the event, it was noted that the pilot did not remember applying carburetor heat until after the engine had already failed. This suggests that carburetor icing may have contributed to the loss of power during the low-power phase of the maneuver.
Findings
The primary factors leading to this incident include the failure to anticipate or mitigate carburetor icing conditions, which are common in cold and moist weather environments. The lack of a suitable forced landing area further complicated the outcome of the event.
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to use carburetor heat prior to reducing power, which resulted in carburetor icing and subsequent engine failure.