N6508S

On April 19, 1996, at about 1130 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 150H, N6508S, experienced a loss of engine power shortly after takeoff at the Hyde Field Airport, near Clinton, Maryland. The airplane sustained substantial damage when the left wing impacted a tree during the ensuing forced landing. The student pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight, no flight plan was filed. The local flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.

The student pilot stated that he was practicing full stop takeoffs and landings at Hyde Field when the accident occurred. He reported that he had completed 6 takeoffs and landings without incident. He stated that during the 7th takeoff, as the airplane climbed through about 300 to 400 feet above ground level (AGL), he noticed a partial loss of engine power. He stated that the tachometer was reading about 2000 revolutions per minute (RPM), and he checked the throttle to insure that it was full forward. He stated that he thought he might be experiencing carburetor icing, so he turned the carburetor heat on. The student pilot reported that when the engine continued to lose power, he turned the carburetor heat off, and began to prepare for an off airport landing.

The student pilot stated that as he maneuvered for the forced landing, the engine began to "sputter" and then lost power completely. He stated that he saw a field to his left about 1/2 mile southwest of the airport. He said he picked a spot, but he flared too high, about 15 to 20 feet AGL. He reported that he saw trees coming at him, and tried to turn to the right to avoid them. The student pilot stated that the "...left wing struck a tree and swung the aircraft around into some other trees, before it came to an abrupt stop."

The student pilot stated that the temperature at the time of the accident was about 70 degrees, and he believed that the loss of engine power was due to carburetor ice. Postaccident examination of the aircraft, engine, and systems, revealed no evidence of preimpact mechanical malfunction. On April 20, 1996, a test run of the engine was conducted. According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Inspector, the airplane engine started on the first attempt, and the engine and systems appeared to be capable of normal operation.