Accident Overview
On October 7, 2011, at 1640 central daylight time, a Cessna 150L (registration N642EZ) was substantially damaged during a forced landing in a field near Vidalia, Louisiana. The commercial pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. The airplane was privately owned and operated. The flight originated at Cleveland Municipal Airport in Cleveland, Mississippi, around 1450, with no flight plan filed. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the Part 91 repositioning flight.
Pilot Actions
The pilot reported beginning a descent approximately 10 miles from Concordia Parish Airport. About 5 miles from the airport, he applied carburetor heat to reduce throttle and increase descent rate. Upon application, the engine lost a significant amount of RPM. The pilot immediately turned off the carburetor heat, but the engine continued to lose all power. He executed a forced landing to a recently plowed cotton field, during which the airplane flipped over.
Postaccident Examination
FAA inspectors examined the airplane and engine. The vertical stabilizer, rudder, and firewall sustained substantial damage. The nose landing gear was displaced aft, and both wings showed impact damage. Fuel in the fuel lines, gascolator, and carburetor bowl was blue, clear of debris and water. Compression and valve train continuity were established in all cylinders via manual propeller rotation, and spark was produced on all ignition leads. No mechanical anomalies were found with the engine.
Weather Conditions
At 1635, weather at Natchez-Adams County Airport (about 11 miles east) reported wind from 140 degrees at 10 knots, visibility 10 miles, few clouds at 6,500 feet, scattered clouds at 8,500 feet, temperature 84°F, dewpoint 61°F, and barometric pressure 30.12 inHg. According to the FAA Carburetor Icing Probability Chart, these conditions were conducive to serious carburetor icing at glide power.