Accident Overview
On July 13, 2010, at approximately 2030 central daylight time, a Piper J3C-65 (registration N35645) sustained substantial damage during a forced landing in a body of water following a loss of engine power. The incident occurred near Krum, Texas. The private pilot and an airline transport pilot–rated passenger on board received minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight conducted under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. The local flight had departed Bird Dog Airfield (TE58) in Krum at approximately 1930.
Pilot Account
According to an interview with the pilot and his written statement, he and his passenger had been practicing flight maneuvers in the local area. Before landing, the pilot overflew a small lake. He initiated a slight descending turn with the engine power near idle. When he attempted to add power, the engine did not respond. The pilot reported that the engine did not run rough or produce any unusual sounds during the power loss. The airplane was still over the water, and the pilot determined he could not reach land, so he executed a forced landing in the lake. The left wing was damaged upon impact with the water. The pilot stated there were no known malfunctions with the airplane and attributed the loss of engine power to carburetor icing.
Inspection
An on-scene inspection of the airplane's engine and other systems by a responding Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector did not reveal any pre-impact anomalies.
Carburetor Icing Conditions
A review of the carburetor icing chart in the FAA Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin CE-09-35, dated June 30, 2009, indicated that the airplane was operating in conditions conducive to serious icing at glide power.