Incident Details
On 1 October 1998 at 1345 UTC, a Cessna 182D (registration G-JOON) operated by a private pilot departed Kirton Lindsey for Seething. While en route over Marsh Road, Holbeach, St Mark, Lincolnshire, the engine stopped and then briefly restarted. The pilot initiated a forced landing, selecting the "least bad field" and activating carburettor heat while switching to the other fuel tank rather than the "Both" setting. As the engine regained power, he turned toward Fenland Airfield, but the engine ceased operation again.
During the subsequent forced landing, the pilot found that his diagonal restraint strap prevented him from reaching the manually operated flap lever. Upon touchdown, the nose landing gear sank into soft ground, causing the aircraft to nose over. The pilot was uninjured and vacated the cockpit without incident; no fire occurred.
Aircraft Recovery
The aircraft was later recovered to a maintenance organization and awaits repair. Post-accident examination revealed no pre-existing failures in the engine or related systems. The propeller remained free to rotate after recovery. Fuel was present in both wing tanks, with a total of 10 gallons drained by the recovery crew. If any relevant defects are discovered during repair, they will be reported in a future AAIB bulletin.
Weather Conditions
A meteorological aftercast for the area indicated surface wind from 100° at 15 knots gusting to 25 knots, and at 2,000 feet wind from 090° at 25 to 30 knots. Cloud cover was scattered at 1,500 to 2,000 feet and broken at 4,000 to 5,000 feet. Humidity varied with altitude: 78% at the surface, 76% at 1,000 mb, 88% at approximately 1,500 feet (950 mb), and 78% and 89% at 850 mb. Plotted on a carburettor icing probability chart, conditions at 1,500 feet indicated a serious risk of carburettor icing at any power setting.