Incident Summary
A student pilot was practicing maneuvers in a designated practice area. Before returning to the airport, the pilot decided to practice a power-off stall. After climbing to 3,000 feet and leveling off, the pilot extended the flaps fully and reduced speed to 50 mph. The pilot then activated the carburetor heat and reduced the throttle to idle.
Engine Power Loss
As the pilot began to pull up into the stall, before feeling the buffeting associated with the stall, the engine lost power and the propeller stopped. The pilot turned the aircraft toward the airport and issued a mayday call to air traffic control.
Forced Landing
Believing a successful landing at the airport was not possible, the pilot turned toward an open field to initiate an off-airport forced landing. During the landing roll on soft terrain, the aircraft nosed over.
Investigation Findings
A probability carburetor icing chart indicated that for the existing temperature of 44 degrees Fahrenheit and a dew point of 40 degrees Fahrenheit, the aircraft was operating in the range of serious icing in cruise or climb power conditions. After the aircraft was recovered, the engine was prepared for an engine run. The engine started without difficulty and operated at varying power settings with no anomalies noted for several minutes before it was shut down.