At about 17:03 eastern time, a Mooney M20C lost power and was damaged in a forced landing in a field near the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Airport. The two people aboard were not injured. The pilot reported the cross-country flight had proceeded normally until he applied carb heat and reduced power to descend. The engine began to run roughly and the airplane would not maintain altitude. The outside air temperature was -12 degrees C and the cabin heater was on. In the Mooney M20C, the carb heat and the cabin heat draw hot air from the same shroud around the muffler. The airplane was not equipped with a carb ice detector.
February 06, Wilkes-Barre, Pa. / Mooney M20C
At about 17:03 eastern time, a Mooney M20C lost power and was damaged in a forced landing in a field near the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Airport. The two people aboard were not injured. The pilot reported the cross-country flight had proceeded normally until he applied carb heat and reduced power to descend. The engine began to run roughly and the airplane would not maintain altitude. The outside air temperature was -12 degrees C and the cabin heater was on. In the Mooney M20C, the carb heat and the cabin heat draw hot air from the same shroud around the muffler. The airplane was not equipped with a carb ice detector....
Key Takeaways:
- A Mooney M20C made a forced landing near Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Airport after experiencing a loss of engine power, resulting in aircraft damage but no injuries to the two occupants.
- The pilot reported the engine ran roughly after applying carb heat and reducing power for descent, leading to the inability to maintain altitude.
- The incident occurred at -12°C with the cabin heater on, and the aircraft's design draws both carb heat and cabin heat from the same muffler shroud, with no carb ice detector installed.
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