What happened
On the day of the accident, a Cessna 150 departed from Kenosha, Wisconsin, at 10:57 a.m., traveling west toward Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin. While in cruise flight, the aircraft experienced an in-flight loss of engine power. The pilot attempted to follow emergency procedures and selected a field for a forced landing over a landscape consisting of hilly and wooded farmland. However, the pilot was unable to reach the intended landing site. During the landing sequence, the airplane sustained substantial damage when it nosed over. The pilot reported having between 16 and 18 gallons of fuel on board at departure.
The investigation
The investigation examined the engine performance and environmental conditions. A test run of the engine demonstrated that it was capable of producing rated power using its original, though damaged, carburetor. Analysis of the flight conditions involved evaluating the cruise performance chart for the aircraft, which indicated a fuel burn of 7.2 gallons per hour at an altitude of 2,500 feet and 2,750 RPM. Based on a local temperature of 29 degrees C and a dew point of 12 degrees C, the intersection of these values on a carburetor icing chart placed the aircraft in the light icing category for cruise or descent power.