Accident Summary
On April 11, 2019, at about 1430 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 150G (registration N3795J) was substantially damaged during a forced landing near Fulton, New York. The private pilot received serious injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.
Pilot Report
The pilot reported that the airplane had last been flown on July 21, 2018. Although the aircraft had a supplemental type certificate for automotive fuel, the pilot stored it with 100LL aviation fuel. Before departure, he added fewer than 5 gallons of 100LL to top off both tanks. The 2-hour flight was uneventful until the descent. He reduced engine power but maintained more than 2,000 rpm. Just after turning onto base leg for landing, he applied carburetor heat while preparing to reduce power below 2,000 rpm. Immediately, the engine faltered and lost partial power; engine noise decreased but did not cease. He then turned carburetor heat fully off, and the engine regained some power but not all. Reapplying heat caused total power loss. The pilot performed a forced landing to a road in a populated area about 1.3 nautical miles from the runway. During landing, the right wing struck a utility pole, and the airplane came to rest inverted with both wings partially separated.
Wreckage Examination
A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector found substantial damage to both wings and the fuselage. First responders observed fuel on the roadway and leaking from the airplane. The fuel selector was in the "on" position. Engine crankshaft, valvetrain, and accessory gear continuity were confirmed when the crankshaft was rotated by hand. The exhaust, induction, and carburetor heat exchanger components were intact with no leaks. The carburetor heat cable could not be tested due to impact damage, but the control arm operated normally. Both magnetos produced spark on all towers; the ignition harness was intact except for damage to the No. 1 and 3 leads at the top spark plug ends. Spark plugs on cylinders 1 and 3 were oil-soaked, with no sooting and white insulators. The carburetor floats, inlet valve jets, and accelerator pump were intact; the inlet screen was clear. The inlet valve functioned properly when air pressure was applied.
Weather Conditions
A computer model of weather conditions at the accident site around the accident time indicated conditions favorable to carburetor icing development from the surface to 13,000 ft mean sea level at glide and cruise power settings.