Accident Details
On the day of the accident, the pilot landed at Chehalis-Centralia Airport and had lunch with his son. Following lunch, the pilot and his son decided to take a short flight to view some nearby property. After takeoff, the pilot climbed to a little over 2,000 feet and flew toward the location of the property. As the aircraft neared the subject area, the pilot discovered that the property was covered by dense low-level fog. Consequently, they headed back to the airport.
During the last part of the descending approach, the pilot advanced the power lever, but there was no response from the engine. The pilot attempted to stretch the glide to the end of the runway but was unable to do so. The aircraft ultimately ditched in a long narrow pond that was closely aligned with the approach heading.
Investigation Findings
During the investigation, it was determined that the selected fuel tank contained about one gallon of fuel when the aircraft was recovered. Additionally, the investigation determined that the aircraft was operating in icing conditions severe enough that carburetor icing could be expected at cruise power and below. At the termination of the investigation, it could not be positively determined whether the engine was starved of fuel due to the low quantity in the selected left tank, or whether the pilot had forgotten to apply full carburetor heat, resulting in a loss of power due to an accumulation of ice in the carburetor.