Insidious Icing

Tuesday, April 20, 2021 at 09:34 AM ET

Verified

Honeywell's “flight to nowhere” would test the so-called “Connected Aircraft” suite of technology apps enabled by a lightning fast Inmarsat GX satcom connection. Honeywell

Key Takeaways:

Carburetor ice is a frequent cause of engine stoppage, often occurring during low-speed flight or descent.
Ice primarily accumulates on the partially closed throttle valve, downstream of the venturi, where fuel evaporation causes a significant temperature drop.
Pilots should utilize carburetor heat during descents and when cruising at lower speeds or in humid conditions to prevent ice formation.

See a mistake? Contact us.

I was tootling along at low speed in my little experimental, leaning out the Marvel-Schebler carburetor one nice day, when the engine suddenly stopped. I immediately went through the restart procedures, but to no avail. Realizing that I had run out of options, I turned my little Sonex into the wind and landed on a hillside recently planted in wheat. I was later able to take off from a nearby highway and fly back to the airport. Nature had been kind to me.

The throttle setting was relatively low, and the temperature-dew point spread was not too high either. It must have been carburetor ice!