Accident Overview
On July 13, 2014, at approximately 1300 central daylight time, a Piper PA-28-181 airplane, registration N9681K, struck trees and terrain during a forced landing. The accident occurred following a loss of engine power while the airplane was on approach to land at Waukesha County Airport in Waukesha, Wisconsin. The pilot and one passenger received minor injuries. The airplane, owned and operated by Wisconsin Fox River Flyers, Inc., was substantially damaged. The flight was conducted under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight and was not on a flight plan. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The flight had originated from Watertown Municipal Airport in Watertown, Wisconsin, about 1220.
Pilot's Account
The pilot reported that he had entered the airport traffic pattern for landing. When the airplane was abeam the approach end of the runway, he reduced power, applied carburetor heat, and confirmed that the auxiliary fuel pump was on. While on the base leg of the traffic pattern, the pilot attempted to increase engine power but the engine did not respond. He stated that even full throttle did not increase power. He tried moving the engine and carburetor heat controls to no avail. During these remedial actions, he turned toward the runway and declared an emergency. The airplane subsequently impacted trees and terrain short of the runway, resulting in substantial damage to the wings and fuselage.
Postaccident Examination
A postaccident examination of the airplane confirmed that fuel was present. The engine was rotated, and compression was verified on all cylinders. The magnetos showed spark, which was confirmed at all spark plug leads. No mechanical reason for the loss of engine power was found.
Environmental Conditions
At the time of the accident, the temperature was 24 degrees Celsius, and the dew point was 17 degrees Celsius. According to a carburetor icing probability chart, these conditions corresponded to a range of susceptibility for moderate icing at cruise power settings and serious icing at descent power settings.