History of Flight
The pilot of a Cessna 120 was performing a landing approach to a 2,000-foot-long turf runway at a private airport. While on the base leg of the traffic pattern, he applied carburetor heat and reduced the engine power to idle. As the airplane turned onto the final approach leg, the pilot observed that the aircraft was lower than desired. He advanced the throttle control, but the engine did not respond.
Subsequently, the airplane struck trees before the runway and then impacted the ground. The impact resulted in substantial damage to both wings and the fuselage.
Wreckage and Examination
The National Transportation Safety Board was notified of the accident by the pilot approximately one month after the occurrence. About six weeks after the accident, a Federal Aviation Administration inspector examined the airplane. The examination did not reveal evidence of any preaccident malfunctions.
Weather Information
The weather reported at an airport located about 9 miles northeast of the accident site, around the time of the accident, included a temperature of 9 degrees Celsius and a dew point of -7 degrees Celsius.