C150 PLTS HAD AN ENG FAILURE AFTER TURNING ON THE CARB HEAT.

Narrative

THIS WAS A FLT FROM VERNON; TX; TO WICHITA; KS. THERE WERE 2 PEOPLE ON BOARD THE ACFT OF WHICH BOTH OF US ARE PLTS AND OF WHICH BOTH FLEW THE TRIP. I FLEW THE FIRST HALF OF THE TRIP AND THE OTHER PLT FLEW THE OTHER HALF. UPON ARR AT THE DEST ARPT; THE OTHER PLT HANDED THE CTLS OVER TO ME TO MAKE THE LNDG SINCE HE WAS FLYING FROM THE R SEAT. I HAD TOOK OVER THE AIRPLANE ON FINAL APCH APPROX 2 MI FROM THE ARPT ON FINAL APCH FOR RWY 1L AT WICHITA; KS. I FIRST INITIATED CARB HEAT ON THEN STARTED A REDUCTION IN PWR TO DSND FOR THE RWY. AT THAT TIME THE ENG STARTED TO LOSE PWR AND SUBSEQUENTLY DIED. I SET UP FOR A LNDG ON A DIRT ROAD THAT I COULD SEE. THE OTHER PLT SAID HE COULD SEE A CLR FIELD OFF TO HIS R SINCE HE WAS SITTING IN THE R SEAT AND TOOK THE CTLS AT THAT TIME AND LANDED THE AIRPLANE IN THE FIELD UNEVENTFULLY. NO DAMAGE TO THE ACFT; PROPERTY; OR PERSONAL INJURY OCCURRED. THE CAUSE OF ENG FAILURE WAS UNDETERMINED. THE FAA INVESTIGATOR AND MECH LOOKED AT THE AIRPLANE AND COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG AND CAME UP WITH A PROBABLE CAUSE OF POSSIBLE CARB ICING SINCE NO DISCREPANCIES WERE FOUND. THE ONLY THING THE INVESTIGATOR FOUND WAS A FEW DROPLETS OF WATER IN THE R TANK OF WHICH HE SAID WAS NOT NEGLIGIBLE. THERE WAS NO WATER FOUND IN FUEL ON PREFLT SUMPING OF THE TANKS PRIOR TO THE FLT. THERE WAS NO REDUCTION IN RPM'S DURING THE FLT TO SUSPECT CARB ICING FROM BOTH PLTS VIEW. THE FAA ISSUED THE AIRPLANE AS BEING SAFE TO FLY AND WAS FLOWN OUT THAT DAY FROM A ROAD NEARBY. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 629631: ON THE DSCNT HE FIRST PULLED THE CARB HEAT THEN REDUCED PWR FOR THE LNDG PHASE. SHORTLY AFTER; THE ENG SPUTTERED AND THEN QUIT. HE PICKED A ROAD BUT IT HAD PWR LINES ON IT. BUT FROM THE R SEAT I COULD SEE A FIELD THAT LOOKED LIKE A BETTER LNDG SIGHT; SO I TOOK CTLS BACK OVER AND MADE AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG IN THE FIELD.