Rough Climb Over Sarasota Bay
Carburetor ice, partial power loss, and an off-airport decision in a low-wing single with a fuel-selector trap
The scenario
Departing Sarasota Bradenton International Airport (KSRQ), Runway 04, climbing out on a 038° heading. Elevation 30 ft MSL; the runway is essentially at sea level. You are a Private pilot with roughly 180 hours total time, current and proficient in the Piper Cherokee 180.
It is a warm, humid Florida afternoon in late spring: OAT 27°C, dew point 21°C, altimeter 29.91. Scattered clouds at 2,500 ft, light rain shower two miles to the northeast. Visibility 8 SM. Classic Gulf Coast conditions — warm, moist, and exactly the environment the FAA icing probability chart marks as 'serious icing at glide power, moderate icing at cruise power.'
You are 450 ft AGL, climbing through 74 KIAS (Vy), heading 038°, when the engine begins to run rough. Power is noticeably down — the tachometer is dropping. Off your left wing is Sarasota Bay and open water. KSRQ's tower is part-time (0600–0000 local) and is open; you are in Class C airspace (ceiling 4,000 MSL).
Aircraft: Piper Cherokee 180, solo, fuel tanks balanced (both tanks have fuel), within limits. Carbureted Lycoming O-360-A, fixed-pitch prop, steam panel, fuel selector on LEFT. Nothing was written up; the airplane was airworthy at departure.
Pilot: you — a Private pilot, current, roughly 180 hours total. You did not apply carburetor heat during the run-up because the engine ran smoothly. You did not apply it after takeoff because you were heads-down on the climb and focused on the departure heading.
- {'label': 'Field', 'value': 'KSRQ · Sarasota Bradenton'}
- {'label': 'Runways', 'value': '4/22 · 14/32'}
- {'label': 'Elevation', 'value': '30 ft'}
- {'label': 'Aircraft', 'value': 'PA-28-180'}
- {'label': 'Dominant phase', 'value': 'Takeoff / Landing'}
The decision
Before we get into the decision tree — what do you already know about carburetor ice in the PA-28-180 and the fuel-selector trap? (Pick all that apply; this records your baseline.)
What the record shows
What the NTSB files show
NTSB DEN07CA035 (2006): A Piper PA-28-180 on a personal flight lost engine power on base leg due to carburetor icing and made a forced landing attempt on a road. The pilot swerved to avoid car lights and struck a tree, resulting in substantial damage. The probable cause was carburetor icing in conditions conducive to serious icing, with contributing factors including unsuitable terrain and the tree obstacle.
NTSB ATL03LA148 (2003): A Piper PA-28-180 on a personal flight experienced engine power loss during takeoff climb after extended ground operation in conditions favorable for carburetor icing. The probable cause was the pilot's failure to apply carburetor heat prior to takeoff, allowing ice to form in the induction system.
NTSB NYC02FA025 (2001, FATAL): A Piper PA-28-180 on a personal cross-country flight experienced engine failure due to carburetor icing and made a forced landing into trees near Mansfield, Ohio in darkness. The probable cause was the pilot's improper use of carburetor heat. Contributing factors included night conditions, trees, and the pilot's impairment from ingestion of an over-the-counter antihistamine.
The local environment at KSRQ makes this scenario particularly unforgiving: Runway 04's departure end (heading 038°) is open water and low-density development — Sarasota Bay. An engine failure on the Runway 04 departure at low altitude is a ditching, not a field landing. There is no open field, no road, no park. The water is the off-field environment. This is not hypothetical; it is the NLCD ground cover off that runway end.
The real accidents cited above occurred at other airports and in other aircraft types — NOT at Sarasota Bradenton International Airport. KSRQ has its own accident history (see field dominant patterns: LOSS_OF_CONTROL_GROUND 19.2%, FORCED_LANDING 15.4%, RUNWAY_EXCURSION 11.5%, HARD_LANDING 11.5%, LOSS_OF_CONTROL_INFLIGHT 11.5%), but these specific carburetor icing events happened elsewhere. The scenario is localized to KSRQ to make the off-field environment real and consequential for you as a student here.
The consistent thread across all these events: carburetor ice in the PA-28-180 is insidious. It builds gradually, the first symptom is roughness and a dropping tachometer (not a dramatic power cut), and by the time it is obvious, it may be too late for a comfortable recovery. The fix — full carburetor heat, immediately, at the first sign of roughness in conducive conditions — is simple. The failure is always a delay.
Key lesson — In warm, moist Gulf Coast air, the PA-28-180's carbureted Lycoming O-360-A can accumulate serious carburetor ice even at cruise power and above-freezing temperatures. Apply full carburetor heat at the first sign of engine roughness or unexplained RPM loss. At low altitude over water, the decision window is measured in seconds — not minutes. Off Runway 04 at KSRQ, the off-field environment is Sarasota Bay: a delayed response means a ditching, not a field landing. Additionally, remember the PA-28-180's fuel selector has LEFT / RIGHT with NO BOTH position — the pilot must actively switch tanks. Running a selected tank dry is the signature starvation trap in this airplane.
Debrief — teaching points
Carburetor ice forms in conditions you would not expect.
The FAA icing probability chart shows 'serious icing at glide power' at temperatures between roughly 20°C and 30°C when relative humidity is high — exactly the Gulf Coast afternoon conditions at KSRQ. You do not need visible ice, freezing temperatures, or IMC. Warm, moist air at reduced power is the classic carb-ice environment. The PA-28-180's Lycoming O-360-A is carbureted; it has no fuel injection and no alternate air system. Carburetor heat is the only tool.
The first symptom is subtle — a dropping tachometer and engine roughness.
In a fixed-pitch airplane like the PA-28-180, carburetor ice first shows as engine roughness and an unexplained RPM decrease. There is no dramatic power cut. Pilots who are not actively monitoring the tachometer miss the early warning. By the time the roughness is obvious, significant ice has accumulated. Scan the tachometer as part of your regular instrument scan, especially in conducive conditions.
Apply full carburetor heat — not partial — and expect an initial RPM drop.
When you apply carb heat to an iced carburetor, the RPM will drop further before it rises. This is expected and normal: the heat is melting ice and the resulting water is briefly disrupting combustion. Do not remove carb heat when the RPM drops — that is the heat working. Hold it full on. The RPM will recover as the ice clears, typically within 15–30 seconds depending on ice accumulation. Partial carb heat can worsen the situation by partially melting ice into water ingestion without fully clearing the restriction.
At KSRQ Runway 04, an engine failure on departure is a ditching.
The off-field environment off Runway 04's departure end (heading 038°) is open water — Sarasota Bay — and low-density development. There is no alternate landing surface. If the engine quits on the Runway 04 departure and altitude is insufficient to return to the airport, the outcome is a ditching. This is not a worst-case scenario; it is the geographic reality. Best glide is 65 KIAS. Cabin door unlatched before water contact. Master off just before impact. Flaps for slowest possible touchdown speed — impact energy rises with the square of touchdown speed, so the slowest possible speed matters most. Know this before you line up on Runway 04.
The PA-28-180 fuel selector has LEFT / RIGHT with NO BOTH position — actively switch tanks.
The PA-28-180 is a low-wing Piper with a LEFT / RIGHT fuel selector and NO BOTH position. The pilot must actively switch tanks during flight. Running a selected tank dry — or taking off on a near-empty tank — is the signature starvation trap in this airplane. Develop a tank-switching discipline: establish a time interval (e.g., every 30 minutes) or a fuel-quantity rule (e.g., switch when the selected tank reads 1/2 full) and stick to it. Do not wait for the engine to run rough from fuel starvation to discover you forgot to switch. In this scenario, you are on LEFT; if you had run LEFT dry, the engine roughness would be fuel starvation, not carb ice — and the fix is different.
Proactive carb heat use in conducive conditions is not optional.
The PA-28-180 POH and the FAA Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge both recommend applying carburetor heat when conditions are conducive to icing — before the symptom appears. In a Gulf Coast summer departure, with OAT near 27°C and dew point near 21°C, that means applying carb heat during the run-up check (and confirming the expected RPM drop, then recovery) and considering its use during climb in visible moisture or high humidity. Waiting for the roughness to appear at 450 ft AGL over Sarasota Bay is waiting too long.
Built from the real accident record
Scenario built from NTSB DEN07CA035 (2006 PA-28-180 carburetor ice / forced landing), ATL03LA148 (2003 PA-28-180 carb ice on takeoff climb), and NYC02FA025 (2001 PA-28-180 fatal carb ice / night forced landing). Anonymized and localized to KSRQ.
NTSB reports: DEN07CA035 · ATL03LA148 · NYC02FA025
ACS tasks: PA.I.F — Weather Information · PA.I.G — Cross-Country Flight Planning · PA.IX.C — Emergency Approach and Landing · PA.I.H — Human Factors · PA.II.B — Engine Starting / Systems Preflight
Relevant FARs: §91.3 · §91.13 · §91.185
Step through the full decision tree, make the calls, and see where each choice leads — then debrief it with your CFI.
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