Horizon Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

San Antonio, Texas 78221
Tuesady, November 20, 2012 17:00 CST

The pilot stated that he landed the airplane uneventfully on the grass runway and turned the airplane around at the end of the runway for a takeoff in the opposite direction. The pilot reported that the wind was calm at this time. After liftoff, about 15 feet above the ground, the pilot recognized that the airplane was not producing adequate power or accelerating as expected, so he landed the airplane. The airplane touched down near the departure end of runway, went off the end of the runway, and struck trees. A witness stated that he saw the airplane take off, but when it was about 20 to 30 feet above the ground, the airplane leveled off and appeared to lose power. On-scene examination of the airplane did not reveal any anomalies that would account for the loss of engine power. The weather conditions at the time of the accident were favorable for moderate carburetor icing at cruise power setting and serious icing at descent power setting. It is not known if the pilot used carburetor heat before the accident; however, the carburetor heat control was found in the off position during postaccident examination. Descent power settings yield a throttle angle similar to the low power settings used for taxi operations, and that angle is conducive to the formation of carburetor ice. It is likely that pilot did not apply carburetor heat during the airplane’s descent, landing, or ground operations, and did not detect any carburetor ice accumulated during those operations before the ensuing takeoff. Based on the available information, it is likely that an accumulation of carburetor ice resulted in the partial loss of engine power during takeoff.

A partial loss of engine power during takeoff, likely due to the accumulation of carburetor ice.