Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Burlington, North Carolina 27298
Saturday, September 19, 1998 20:00 EDT

The pilot flew to a nearby airport and performed 5 full-stop taxi back landings, all without using carburetor heat. He then circled his father's house 2 times, and flew to another nearby airport where he performed 2 simulated engine failures in the traffic pattern by retarding the throttle to idle in each case. Each landing was just past the numbers of the 5,000 foot-long asphalt runway. During the second go-around, he noted that the airplane required about 2/3's of the runway to accelerate to 60 knots, but he continued the takeoff. He leveled off to accelerate then began to climb at the departure end of runway during which he noted that the tachometer was indicating 2,000 rpm. While at traffic pattern altitude, the engine began to surge. He maneuvered the airplane for a forced landing on an expressway and while descending, the airplane collided with a power line, followed by a vehicle, and then the ground. Examination of the engine revealed no evidence of pre-impact failure or malfunction. The pilot reported only using carburetor heat during the engine run-up before the initial takeoff. Review of the pilot's operating handbook revealed carburetor heat is required to be applied before throttle reduction. Review of the icing probability chart revealed the conditions were favorable for serious icing with descent power.

The pilot's failure to abort the takeoff after recognizing that the airplane was slow to accelerate during the takeoff roll, and his not obtaining/maintaining clearance with the wire during the forced landing. Contributing factors were carburetor icing conditions, the pilot's improper use of carburetor heat while performing touch-and-go landings, and the wire.