What happened
On 20 June 1998, a CAARP CP13li30 Super Emeraud, registration G-BANW, was conducting a private flight from Gloucester Cheltenham Airport toward a landing strip at Scotland Farm in North East Hampshire. During the approach to the mown landing strip, the pilot encountered a gusting crosswind and faced challenges due to the strip's width being narrower than the aircraft's wingspan. At approximately 200 feet above ground level, the engine suffered a loss of power.
As the aircraft developed a high sink rate, the pilot identified obstacles including tall trees and a low-hanging power cable at the threshold of the landing area. To avoid these hazards, the pilot executed a right-hand turn over a wooded area and crossed the M3 motorway before successfully performing an emergency landing in a field of standing wheat. There were no injuries to the pilot.
The investigation
The investigation examined the engine performance and environmental conditions leading up to the power loss. The pilot noted that because the outside air temperature was 27°C, the carburettor heat had only been engaged once during the flight. The pilot also reported that distractions regarding the landing direction and the narrowness of the strip contributed to a failure to select the carburettor heat during the final approach.
Meteorological data reviewed by the AAIB indicated that the local atmospheric conditions were highly conducive to carburettor icing at glide power, and were also capable of causing slight icing during cruise power.
Findings
- The engine lost power during the approach due to the failure to apply carburettor heat.
- Environmental conditions were suitable for the formation of ice within the carburettor.
- The pilot's attention was divided by the narrow landing strip and gusting crosswinds, leading to the omission of the necessary carburettor heat setting.