Rough Climb Out of Tampa
Carburetor ice, partial power loss, and dense development surrounding a major airport — the decision window closes fast
The scenario
Departing Tampa International Airport (KTPA), Tampa, FL — Runway 10, climbing out on a 092° heading. Elevation 26 ft MSL. You are a Private pilot with roughly 180 hours total time, current and proficient. This is a local VFR flight in a Cessna 150M — a single-engine trainer with a 100 hp Continental O-200-A carbureted engine.
It is a humid Florida afternoon in late spring: OAT 27°C, dew point 21°C, altimeter 29.92. Scattered clouds at 2,800 ft, light rain shower two miles to the northeast. Visibility 8 SM. The conditions are textbook for carburetor icing: warm, moist air, and the temperature/dew point spread is in the serious-icing range at glide power according to the FAA icing probability chart.
You are 350 ft AGL, climbing through 68 KIAS (Vy, best rate of climb), heading 092°, when the engine begins to run rough. Power is noticeably down — the tachometer is dropping. The off-field environment off Runway 10 is dense development, medium development, and wooded wetland — no clear landing area. KTPA's tower is active 24/7 and is aware of your departure; you are in Class B airspace (ceiling 10,000 MSL).
Aircraft: Cessna 150M, solo, full fuel (18 gallons usable), within limits. Carbureted Continental O-200-A, fixed-pitch prop, steam panel, fuel selector on BOTH. 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 focused on the climb and did not anticipate icing conditions in warm air.
- {'label': 'Field', 'value': 'KTPA · Tampa'}
- {'label': 'Runways', 'value': '10/28 · 19L/01R · 19R/01L'}
- {'label': 'Elevation', 'value': '26 ft'}
- {'label': 'Aircraft', 'value': 'C150'}
- {'label': 'Dominant phase', 'value': 'Landing / Takeoff'}
The decision
Before we get into the decision tree — what do you already know about carburetor ice in the C150? (Pick all that apply; this records your baseline.)
What the record shows
What the NTSB files show
NTSB ERA25LA028 (2024): A Cessna 150H encountered carburetor ice at cruise altitude in conditions with 100% relative humidity and a temperature/dew point spread conducive to serious icing. The probable cause was the pilot's delayed use of carburetor heat while operating in icing conditions. The pilot did not apply carb heat until after significant power loss had occurred.
NTSB ANC25LA005 (2024): A Cessna 150 on a personal flight experienced partial engine power loss due to carburetor ice formation during initial climb in conditions with 70% relative humidity conducive to serious icing at glide power. The probable cause was the pilot's improper use of carburetor heat (partial application rather than full) while operating on Mogas in icing conditions.
NTSB ERA24LA087 (2024): A Cessna 150M on a solo cross-country instructional flight experienced partial engine power loss due to carburetor icing when the student pilot failed to apply carburetor heat. The pilot made a diversionary landing but failed to attain a proper touchdown point, resulting in a runway excursion.
NTSB CEN21LA381 (2021): A Cessna 150 experienced partial engine power loss due to carburetor icing during takeoff near Wadsworth, Ohio, when the pilot failed to apply carburetor heat despite conditions in the moderate-to-serious icing range. The pilot made a forced landing to a corn field where the aircraft nosed over. The pilot survived.
NTSB ERA21LA284 (2021): A Cessna 150 instructional aircraft lost engine power during takeoff due to carburetor icing and made a forced landing into trees near Elba, Alabama. The probable cause was carburetor ice formation under atmospheric conditions conducive to serious icing at glide power, with insufficient time to melt accumulated ice despite carburetor heat application.
NTSB CEN23FA077 (2023, FATAL): A Cessna 150H on an instructional flight conducted a night visual approach to a non-towered airport in dark conditions with no cultural lighting. The aircraft descended below safe altitude and impacted a farm field 1.2 miles short of the runway. The probable cause was the flight instructor's failure to apply carburetor heat when conditions were conducive to icing, resulting in loss of engine power, and the failure to maintain control while maneuvering for a forced landing in dark night visual meteorological conditions.
The real accidents cited above occurred at other airports and in different conditions — NOT at Tampa International Airport. KTPA has its own accident history (forced landing is the dominant pattern at 22.2% of accidents), but these specific carburetor ice events happened elsewhere. The scenario is localized to KTPA 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 C150 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 or improper application (partial heat instead of full).
Key lesson — In warm, moist Florida air, the C150's carbureted Continental O-200-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 dense development, the decision window is measured in seconds — not minutes. Off Runway 10 at KTPA, the off-field environment is dense development: a delayed response means a forced landing in trees, buildings, or power lines, not a field landing.
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 Florida afternoon conditions at KTPA. You do not need visible ice, freezing temperatures, or IMC. Warm, moist air at reduced power is the classic carb-ice environment. The C150's Continental O-200-A is carbureted; it has no alternate air system. Carburetor heat is the only tool. Proactive application in conducive conditions (before the symptom appears) is the best defense.
The first symptom is subtle — a dropping tachometer and engine roughness.
In a fixed-pitch airplane like the C150, 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. At 350 ft AGL, you have seconds to respond.
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 (as in NTSB ANC25LA005) can worsen the situation by partially melting ice into water ingestion without fully clearing the restriction.
At KTPA Runway 10, an engine failure on departure is a forced landing in development.
The off-field environment off Runway 10's departure end (heading 092°) is dense development, medium development, and wooded wetland. There is no clear landing surface. If the engine quits on the Runway 10 departure and altitude is insufficient to return to the airport, the outcome is a forced landing in whatever terrain you can reach — a parking lot, a road, trees, or power lines. This is not a worst-case scenario; it is the geographic reality. Best glide is 60 KIAS. Maintain control all the way to touchdown. The real accidents (ERA21LA284, CEN21LA381) show that forced landings into trees and fields are survivable if you fly the airplane all the way down and do not stall.
Proactive carb heat use in conducive conditions is not optional.
The C150 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 Florida 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 350 ft AGL over development is waiting too long.
Built from the real accident record
Scenario built from NTSB ERA25LA028, ANC25LA005, ERA24LA087, WPR21LA329, CEN21LA381, ERA21LA284, and CEN23FA077 — all Cessna 150-series carburetor ice events. Real accidents occurred at other airports and in different conditions. Localized to KTPA and its actual runway environment.
NTSB reports: ERA25LA028 · ANC25LA005 · ERA24LA087 · WPR21LA329 · CEN21LA381 · ERA21LA284 · CEN23FA077
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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