What happened
A private pilot was performing a landing on a remote sand bar when he realized upon touchdown that the available runway length was insufficient for a safe landing. In an attempt to abort the landing, the pilot advanced the throttle; however, at that moment, the engine lost power.
Unable to stop the aircraft before reaching the end of the sand bar, the airplane traveled down an embankment and into a river, where it subsequently nosed over. The pilot was not injured. The aircraft sustained substantial damage to its wings, the right wing lift strut, and the fuselage.
Findings
The pilot reported that he had not utilized carburetor heat during the aborted landing attempt. He identified carburetor ice as the reason for the loss of engine power. Following the event, the pilot stated there were no mechanical issues present with the aircraft.