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Altitude deviation due to turbulence and manifold pressure drop and then engine quit. Carburetor heat applied. Manifold pressure slowly climbed. Notified ATC of altitude loss and engine problem. Second aircraft diverted.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 112324 |
| Time | |
| Date | 198905 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : hfd |
| State Reference | CT |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 8000 msl bound upper : 9000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | IMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Retractable Gear |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Route In Use | enroute : direct enroute airway : bdl |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : cfi |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 50 flight time total : 1700 flight time type : 800 |
| ASRS Report | 112324 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : approach |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : less severe altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : required legal separation |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : overcame equipment problem flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
I was cruising at 9000 in heavy rain, IMC, moderate turbulence. Temperature outside was +3 degree C. Manifold pressure had dropped off from 21' to 20' indicating that ice was starting to form in carburetor. It usually has to drop about 3' before engine runs rough. At that point engine totally quit. I checked gauges, had oil pressure, fuel pressure and RPM at 2400. Manifold pressure was pinned at lower end, indicating an intake blockage. Carburetor heat was applied and engines spit once. Then the manifold pressure slowly started to climb indicating the ice blockage was melting. I was experiencing turbulence at the time. I had lost 800' in about 1 minute or less, when the engine resumed power. Approach called me as I was about to call them (aviate, navigate, communicate). Aircraft was an small aircraft (climb rate at that altitude is about 500 FPM). Traffic coming other way was diverted by approach control to protect us both during my reclimb to 9000.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: ALT DEVIATION DUE TO TURBULENCE AND MANIFOLD PRESSURE DROP AND THEN ENGINE QUIT. CARBURETOR HEAT APPLIED. MANIFOLD PRESSURE SLOWLY CLIMBED. NOTIFIED ATC OF ALT LOSS AND ENGINE PROBLEM. SECOND ACFT DIVERTED.
Narrative: I WAS CRUISING AT 9000 IN HEAVY RAIN, IMC, MODERATE TURBULENCE. TEMP OUTSIDE WAS +3 DEG C. MANIFOLD PRESSURE HAD DROPPED OFF FROM 21' TO 20' INDICATING THAT ICE WAS STARTING TO FORM IN CARBURETOR. IT USUALLY HAS TO DROP ABOUT 3' BEFORE ENGINE RUNS ROUGH. AT THAT POINT ENGINE TOTALLY QUIT. I CHECKED GAUGES, HAD OIL PRESSURE, FUEL PRESSURE AND RPM AT 2400. MANIFOLD PRESSURE WAS PINNED AT LOWER END, INDICATING AN INTAKE BLOCKAGE. CARBURETOR HEAT WAS APPLIED AND ENGINES SPIT ONCE. THEN THE MANIFOLD PRESSURE SLOWLY STARTED TO CLIMB INDICATING THE ICE BLOCKAGE WAS MELTING. I WAS EXPERIENCING TURBULENCE AT THE TIME. I HAD LOST 800' IN ABOUT 1 MINUTE OR LESS, WHEN THE ENGINE RESUMED POWER. APCH CALLED ME AS I WAS ABOUT TO CALL THEM (AVIATE, NAVIGATE, COMMUNICATE). ACFT WAS AN SMA (CLIMB RATE AT THAT ALT IS ABOUT 500 FPM). TFC COMING OTHER WAY WAS DIVERTED BY APCH CTL TO PROTECT US BOTH DURING MY RECLIMB TO 9000.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.