Accident
On May 26, 2014, about 1930 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-11, registration N4550M, was substantially damaged when it collided with a pole barn near Cooperstown, New York. The private pilot and the passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed for the local flight, which departed Cooperstown-Westville Airport (K23), Cooperstown, New York. The flight was conducted under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.
Pilot Report
According to a statement provided to New York State Police, the pilot reported that after takeoff, he completed several takeoffs and landings, then took a scenic flight near the airport. While preparing to land, approximately 750 feet above ground and just north of the airport, the pilot noted a considerable loss of engine power. He applied carburetor heat, as he had in the past, but it was insufficient to allow the airplane to climb, and it rapidly lost altitude. The pilot attempted to land on a road adjacent to the airport, but without power, the airplane descended over trees and struck a pole barn.
In a follow-up statement, the pilot clarified that he was on a long final approach to runway 20 at K23 when the passenger requested to see a lake. The pilot climbed westward, then the passenger asked to see another lake to the south. The pilot changed course, after which the engine developed carburetor ice. The pilot could not clear the ice, and the engine lost power. At that time, the airplane was near a ridge west of the airport at low altitude; the pilot determined he could not safely turn back to the airport and attempted an emergency landing west of route 166. During the landing, the left wing struck a power pole, spinning the airplane, which then slid backward into the pole barn.
Aircraft Damage
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector responding to the scene reported that the airplane came to rest 450 feet west of K23 runway 2/20 centerline, off airport property, abeam the north end of tee hangars, and across route 166. The aircraft's heading was approximately 125 degrees magnetic. The left wing leading edge exhibited impact damage consistent with hitting a utility pole on the west side of the road. The pole, about 4 feet above ground, showed damage and paint transfer matching the airplane's color. Left wing damage extended from just outboard the fuel tank to the tip.
Ground scars were evident from the utility pole to the aircraft's resting position. The airplane rested against the pole barn with the left wing on the ground and the right wing partially penetrating a corner of the barn. The left main landing gear was bent under and aft, with the wheel and tire assembly broken off the axle. The carburetor and air box were separated from the engine, and the carburetor heat and throttle cables were severed. One propeller blade was bent forward slightly, the opposite blade bent aft, and both had leading edge tip damage. Four ground score marks between the utility pole and the airplane were consistent with propeller strikes.
Weather
The pilot reported that at 1800, the temperature was 24°C and the dew point was 11°C. At 1953, the nearest airport with recorded weather, about 40 nautical miles to the northwest, reported the same temperature and dew point. An FAA carburetor icing probability chart indicated the probability of "serious icing at glide power." The pilot noted that he "should have turned on the carb heat…earlier on final."