Incident Overview
A student pilot encountered an engine anomaly while cruising at 3,000 feet mean sea level. The engine began to sputter and subsequently lost all power. The pilot executed the emergency checklist, which included activating carburetor heat. This action allowed the engine to restart. However, after running for approximately 15 to 20 seconds, the engine lost power again, shortly after the pilot had deactivated the carburetor heat. The pilot again followed emergency procedures, reapplied carburetor heat, and successfully restarted the engine. The engine then operated at a reduced RPM for about one minute before losing total power for a third time. Faced with a complete power loss, the student pilot performed a forced landing, which resulted in the aircraft coming to rest in trees.
Sequence of Events
The engine failure occurred in three distinct phases. Initially, during cruise flight at 3,000 feet msl, the engine sputtered and lost all power. The student pilot responded by completing the emergency checklist, including the application of carburetor heat, which enabled a restart. The engine ran for 15-20 seconds before losing power again, coinciding with the pilot turning off the carburetor heat. A second restart was achieved by reapplying carburetor heat. The engine then ran at a slower RPM for approximately one minute, after which it lost total power for the third time. At this point, the pilot conducted a forced landing into trees.
Additional Information
Review of aircraft and fueling records indicated that the airplane had flown 3.3 hours since its last full fueling. According to the Pilot's Operating Handbook for the make and model, the airplane's endurance at 65 percent power was approximately 3.9 hours. Additionally, the FAA Carburetor Icing Probability Chart showed that the engine was susceptible to carburetor icing at glide and cruise power under the reported weather conditions.