Flight and Incident
About 20 minutes into a night cross-country flight, the pilot informed air traffic control of a rough-running engine and requested a return to the departure airport. ATC instructed the pilot to reverse course and report the airport in sight. No further pertinent transmissions were received.
Witness Observations
A witness near the accident site observed the airplane approaching the field at very high speed, heading north at an altitude of about 800 feet. The airplane then turned left and descended from view. A second witness also saw the airplane flying north; it made a left turn and descended. The second witness reported that the engine was "spitting and sputtering like it was stalling or running out of gas."
Wreckage Examination
The wreckage was located in a snow-covered farm field next to a row of six large hardwood trees, approximately 25 miles southeast of the departure airport. Impact marks indicated the airplane struck the ground in a nose-low, left-wing-low attitude in front of the trees. Examination of the propeller blades showed twisting, bending aft, leading edge nicks, and chordwise scratches. In the cockpit, the tachometer gauge indicated 3,000 rpm. The throttle and mixture control levers were both found in the full forward position, and the carburetor heat lever was observed in the "ON" position.
Engine and Weather
A review of an FAA carburetor icing probability chart placed the reported temperature (28°F) and dew point (25°F) in the "icing at glide and cruise power" area. Examination of the engine revealed no abnormalities. Weather at the departure airport included 10 statute miles of visibility and clear skies.
Pilot Experience
The pilot had accumulated approximately 233 hours of total flight experience, of which 2.6 hours were in the make and model of the accident aircraft.