The pilot reported that he was making a circling descent to the airport after dropping parachutists and
that he used carburetor heat during the descent. As the pilot was on the base leg of the landing pattern,
close to the turn onto the final leg, the engine lost power. The pilot landed the airplane short of the
runway, and the firewall buckled and the nose landing gear bent forward. The operator later functionally
tested the engine and it operated normally.
Category: Santa Teresa
The pilot told an FAA inspector that he had completed an air drop of skydivers at 14,000 feet and was returning to land. During the descent, the engine quit. The pilot initially thought it was due to carburetor ice, but then realized that he ran “out of fuel.” The pilot was forced to land the airplane short of the runway.