Incident Overview
During the climb out, the engine lost power. The CFI lowered the nose to establish a glide speed of about 65-70 mph and executed a forced landing to a field. He applied carburetor heat, switched magnetos, and pumped the throttle but with no effect. The CFI saw power line wires and tried to avoid them by going under the wires, but the airplane's right wing hit a power line pole. The airplane rotated to the right and landed in the ditch next to a road.
Engine Examination and Environmental Conditions
The engine was later placed on a test stand and an engine run revealed that it met operational specifications. At the time of the incident, the temperature was 16 degrees Celsius and the dew point was 12 degrees Celsius.
Pilot and Mechanic Reports
The mechanic who conducted the airplane's annual inspection five months earlier and who received dual instruction in the airplane before the accident flight stated that he encountered carburetor icing while taxiing and while in cruise flight. The certified flight instructor reported that he had not applied carburetor heat until the engine lost power after takeoff.
Guidance on Carburetor Heat Usage
A review of two Luscombe owners' handbooks from the late 1940s and early 1950s found guidance recommending full carburetor heat for takeoffs and landings. A placard located next to the carburetor heat lever on the instrument panel stated the following: "Full Carburetor Air Heat Required for Takeoff and Landing." Although originally intended to correct fuel flow problems in early model 8As (during takeoffs with high pitch attitudes), the placard comports with Luscombe 8A owners and pilot operating manual guidance on carburetor icing avoidance.