Incident Overview
On October 2, 2017, at approximately 15:30 local time, a pilot flying a Cessna 150L conducted a preflight inspection, engine warm-up, and taxi from the hangar to runway 14 at the EPWS Wrocław–Szymanow airfield with the intention of performing a flight over the airport. Before taking the runway, all pre-takeoff checks were completed, including an engine run-up. The pilot then performed a takeoff, flew a circuit pattern, and landed without any signs of aircraft malfunction. After the landing roll, the pilot taxied for another departure from runway 14 and waited before entering the runway for about three minutes with the engine at minimum rpm and carburetor heat off.
Power Loss and Precautionary Landing
During the subsequent takeoff, after passing the decision point and lifting off the runway, the pilot felt a loss of power and fluctuating engine rpm. He interpreted this as carburetor icing and activated the carburetor heat, but the engine performance did not improve, and power continued to decrease. At an estimated altitude of 70 meters AGL, the pilot decided to execute a precautionary landing straight ahead. The landing was made on an open field with full flaps and resulted in a short landing roll. The aircraft was not damaged, and the pilot was uninjured. The pilot broadcast a MAYDAY signal, and response teams including firefighters and police arrived at the scene. A breathalyzer test showed a result of 0.0. The aircraft was pushed back to the hangar, where an engine run revealed normal operation.
Probable Cause
According to the investigation, the probable cause of the incident was carburetor icing that formed while the engine was idling at low rpm before the runway with carburetor heat off.