Accident Overview
On August 5, 2022, about 2215 central daylight time, a Piper PA-28-140 airplane, registration N6460R, was substantially damaged during a forced landing on a road near Vernon Hills, Illinois. The pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. The flight was conducted under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight.
Flight History
The pilot departed Campbell Airport (C81) in Grayslake, Illinois, earlier that day and flew to Reese Airport (7I2) in Muncie, Indiana. The return flight to C81 was underway when the accident occurred. ADS-B data indicated the departure from C81 at 1724, arrival at 7I2 at 2023 (flight time 1 hour 59 minutes), and the return leg began at 2039, with the last recorded position at 2215 (1 hour 36 minutes). Total round-trip flight duration was 3 hours 35 minutes.
Engine Power Loss and Emergency Procedures
According to the pilot, shortly after crossing the southeast shore of Lake Michigan, the engine began losing power. At that time, the airplane was at about 2,000 ft mean sea level, operating below the outer layers of O'Hare Airport Class B airspace. The pilot performed emergency procedures including applying carburetor heat, switching the fuel tank selector from left to right, activating the electric fuel pump, and attempting to restart the engine. Approximately three restart attempts were unsuccessful.
Forced Landing
The pilot attempted to glide toward Waukegan National Airport (UGN) in Waukegan, Illinois, but determined there was insufficient altitude. He executed a forced landing to a road. During the landing rollout, the airplane's right wing impacted a road sign, resulting in substantial damage.
Postaccident Examination
Examination of the airframe confirmed substantial damage to the right wing. The left fuel tank fuel gauge read empty, and the right fuel tank gauge read between 5 and 6 gallons. All remaining fuel was drained: the left tank contained about 1 quart of fuel, and the right tank contained about 10 gallons of fuel and 1-1/2 ounces of water.
Engine examination revealed that the flexible tube from the heat shroud to the carburetor heat box was partially collapsed; this damage did not appear to be impact related. Several spark plug ignition leads were loose. The engine rotated freely, and compression was felt on all cylinders. The drained fuel was returned to the tanks for an engine run test.
During the first engine run, the ignition leads and collapsed induction tube were reinstalled as found. The engine started normally and ran smoothly. A magneto check at 2,000 rpm showed normal rpm drop. When carburetor heat was applied, engine rpm dropped by 700 rpm but returned to normal when turned off. The induction tube could not be seen from the cockpit. No other anomalies were detected.
For a second engine run, the induction hose was disconnected. During this test, the carburetor heat system performed as expected.
Maintenance Records
A review of the airplane's maintenance records showed an annual inspection was completed on April 11, 2022. No mention of the collapsed induction tube was found in that inspection or in any previous entries.
Weather Conditions
The recorded temperature and dew point were 25°C and 22°C, respectively, conditions conducive to serious carburetor icing at glide power settings.