Accident Overview
During cruise flight at an altitude of 1,000 feet, the airplane's engine lost power. The pilot applied full throttle, but the engine did not respond, and the aircraft continued to lose altitude and airspeed. At 800 feet, the pilot applied carburetor heat and searched for a landing site. A forced landing was performed on a road, during which the airplane struck a road sign.
Aircraft Examination
Post-accident examination revealed the throttle and carburetor heat controls were in the off position. Approximately 17 gallons of fuel were drained from the airplane, with no contamination observed. Fuel was also present in the carburetor bowl, gascolator, and fuel lines. The throttle, mixture, and carburetor heat control linkages were connected and operated smoothly.
Engine Test Run
The engine was test run on the airframe. It started normally and operated between 1,500 and 1,700 RPM. Operational checks of the magnetos, mixture, and carburetor heat controls revealed no anomalies.
Carburetor Icing Conditions
Interpolation of a carburetor icing probability chart indicated that atmospheric conditions were conducive to "icing at glide or cruise power."