Narrative:

I was on final approach for runway 290 at airlake airport near lakeville, mn. There were 3 people on board including myself as pilot. There was 3.5 hours of fuel left in the aircraft I was flying. I had carburetor heat on and full rich mixture and the fuel selector was on both. Approximately 1/2 mi out and 300' AGL from the runway, the engine sputtered and quit. I double-checked the fuel selector, mixture and carburetor heat and they were all in the current positions as stated previously. I then picked out a field to the left of the approach course and set up for a landing. The flaps were at 20 degree and I elected to leave them at 20 degree. Since I was only approximately 200' from the ground at this time I had no time to attempt a restart. The propeller was windmilling during the descent and when I touched down on the field the engine started back up, including that perhaps ice somewhere had been knocked loose either carburetor ice or fuel line icing. 2 days later an a&P mechanic examined the plane and found no defects or damage and rendered it airworthy. The temperature on the day was approximately 29 degree F and the dew point was within 5 degree or 6 degree of the temperature. The only recommendation I could think of would be perhaps to pull carburetor heat out sooner than on downwind as I did or perhaps have a higher RPM setting to keep the carburetor warmer.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT MAKES OFF ARPT LNDG AS ENGINE FAILS ON SHORT FINAL. ACFT NOT DAMAGED. NO INJURIES TO PASSENGERS. PLT FEELS IT WAS CARBURETOR ICE.

Narrative: I WAS ON FINAL APCH FOR RWY 290 AT AIRLAKE ARPT NEAR LAKEVILLE, MN. THERE WERE 3 PEOPLE ON BOARD INCLUDING MYSELF AS PLT. THERE WAS 3.5 HRS OF FUEL LEFT IN THE ACFT I WAS FLYING. I HAD CARBURETOR HEAT ON AND FULL RICH MIXTURE AND THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS ON BOTH. APPROX 1/2 MI OUT AND 300' AGL FROM THE RWY, THE ENGINE SPUTTERED AND QUIT. I DOUBLE-CHECKED THE FUEL SELECTOR, MIXTURE AND CARBURETOR HEAT AND THEY WERE ALL IN THE CURRENT POSITIONS AS STATED PREVIOUSLY. I THEN PICKED OUT A FIELD TO THE LEFT OF THE APCH COURSE AND SET UP FOR A LNDG. THE FLAPS WERE AT 20 DEG AND I ELECTED TO LEAVE THEM AT 20 DEG. SINCE I WAS ONLY APPROX 200' FROM THE GND AT THIS TIME I HAD NO TIME TO ATTEMPT A RESTART. THE PROPELLER WAS WINDMILLING DURING THE DSCNT AND WHEN I TOUCHED DOWN ON THE FIELD THE ENGINE STARTED BACK UP, INCLUDING THAT PERHAPS ICE SOMEWHERE HAD BEEN KNOCKED LOOSE EITHER CARB ICE OR FUEL LINE ICING. 2 DAYS LATER AN A&P MECHANIC EXAMINED THE PLANE AND FOUND NO DEFECTS OR DAMAGE AND RENDERED IT AIRWORTHY. THE TEMPERATURE ON THE DAY WAS APPROX 29 DEG F AND THE DEW POINT WAS WITHIN 5 DEG OR 6 DEG OF THE TEMPERATURE. THE ONLY RECOMMENDATION I COULD THINK OF WOULD BE PERHAPS TO PULL CARBURETOR HEAT OUT SOONER THAN ON DOWNWIND AS I DID OR PERHAPS HAVE A HIGHER RPM SETTING TO KEEP THE CARBURETOR WARMER.

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.