Accident
On March 2, 2013, at approximately 1045 eastern standard time, a Cessna 150G, registration N3438J, sustained substantial damage during a landing on Long Lake in Naples, Maine. The certificated student pilot, who was the sole occupant, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time, and no flight plan was filed for the instructional flight.
The flight had departed Eastern Slopes Regional Airport (IZG) in Fryeburg, Maine, with a planned destination of Limington-Harmon Airport (63B) in Limington, Maine. The operation was conducted under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.
Pilot and Aircraft
The pilot reported having 45 total hours of flight experience, including 26 hours in the accident airplane make and model. He held a student pilot certificate. According to the pilot's report, he was practicing maneuvers at 2,500 feet before descending to 700 feet over the frozen lake. When he applied engine power to climb, the engine “would not respond.” The pilot believed carburetor ice had formed and executed a forced landing onto the lake.
During the landing roll, the airplane traveled approximately 150 feet through a 12-inch-thick layer of snow and slush. The nose landing gear collapsed and bent aft, causing substantial damage to the engine firewall. The airplane came to rest about 250 yards from the south shore of the lake.
Inspector Findings
A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector responded to the scene and spoke with the pilot immediately after the accident. The pilot told the inspector that he had intended to land on the lake to visit a friend and reported no mechanical anomalies with the airplane. He further stated that his certificated flight instructor had provided an endorsement for the flight between IZG and 63B but had not given an endorsement specifically for landing on the lake.
Weather Conditions
The 1054 weather observation at Eastern Slopes Regional Airport, approximately 13 miles southwest of the accident site, included winds from 10 degrees at 10 knots, visibility 10 miles, broken clouds at 3,700 feet, temperature 4°C, dew point 4°C, and an altimeter setting of 29.62 inches of mercury.