Incident Overview
A Piper PA-28-140 suffered a loss of engine power during climb-out after takeoff, leading to an impact with water. The pilot reported that during the pretakeoff runup, the engine ran rough but smoothed out after he "burned it off." The pilot then initiated a takeoff despite the engine feeling "a little sluggish" and producing only 2,200 rpm, which was described as "a little lower than normal."
Power Loss and Emergency Actions
After takeoff, the engine failed to produce sufficient power to sustain the climb. At approximately 500 feet above ground level, the pilot attempted to restore power by switching fuel tanks, toggling the electric fuel pump on and off, operating the carburetor heat control on and off, and jiggling the throttle. None of these actions yielded a positive result. The airplane subsequently began to "mush" and impacted the water.
Post-Incident Findings
The pilot was able to extricate himself from the aircraft despite incurring back injuries. Upon recovery of the airplane, an examination revealed that an aluminum bracket on the throttle body, which attaches to the carburetor heat control cable, had fractured. The bracket showed evidence of a previous repair by welding, and the fracture occurred at the weld site. Additionally, the carburetor heat plate was found to be approximately half open, although the cockpit carburetor heat control was in the "OFF" position.
Investigation
The investigation documented the broken bracket and its prior repair, noting the location of the break at the weld. No further analysis or causal determinations were provided in the source material.