N6971D

On January 15, 2001, at 1604 eastern standard time, a Piper PA-18, N6971D, collided with the ground during an attempted forced landing following a total loss of engine power near Manatee County Airport near Sun City, Florida. The personal flight operated under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91 with no flight plan filed. Visual weather conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The airplane sustained substantial damage. The commercial pilot and his passenger were not injured. The local flight originally departed St Petersburg Airport in St. Petersburg, Florida, at 1530 hours.

According to the pilot, he and his passenger had flown to Manatee Airport where they had completed several landings. After takeoff, as the airplane climbed through 500 feet, the pilot reported that the engine lost power and started "missing". He changed fuel tanks and applied carburetor. heat and selected an off-airport emergency landing area. The engine quit shortly before the airplane collided with the ground as the pilot maneuvered for the forced landing 1.7 miles north of the Manatee Airport.

Examination of the airplane revealed an undetermined amount of fuel. During the functional examination of the engine, it operated normally throughout all power ranges. The pilot did not report any mechanical problems with the airplane. According to the Carburetor-Icing Probability Chart, weather conditions were favorable for carburetor icing. No evidence of mechanical engine failure was found.