NTSB Factual Report

On October 16, 2012, about 1430 eastern daylight time, an amateur-built Young Woody Pusher, N10RY, sustained minor damage during a forced landing to a field following a loss of engine power near Cloverdale, Indiana. The pilot received serious injuries during the event. The aircraft was registered to and operated by an individual under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight, which was not operated on a flight plan. The local flight originated from a private airstrip in Cloverdale, Indiana, about 1425.

The airplane was in cruise flight about 800 feet above ground level when the engine experienced a total loss of power. The pilot selected a field and performed a forced landing. During the landing, the tailwheel equipped airplane nosed over and came to rest on it's back.

The airplane was an experimental amateur-built design that employed a single strut braced wing. The engine was mounted in a pusher configuration on the wing with the pilot station at the front of the fuselage. The engine used on the airplane was a Continental Motors C-85 engine.

A postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.

A weather reporting station located about 23 miles south of the accident site recorded the temperature and dew point about the time of the accident as 19 and 6 degrees Celsius, respectively. According to a carburetor icing probability chart the conditions were conducive for moderate carburetor icing at cruise power settings and serious carburetor icing at glide power settings.

NTSB Probable Cause

The total loss of engine power due to carburetor icing.