Rough Climb Out of Tampa Bay
Carburetor ice, partial power loss, and dense development off every runway — the decision clock is measured in seconds
The scenario
Departing Tampa International Airport (KTPA), Tampa, FL — Runway 10, climbing out on a 092° heading. Elevation 26 ft MSL; the runway is essentially at sea level. You are in Class B airspace; tower is active 24/7.
It is a hazy Florida afternoon in late spring: OAT 27°C, dew point 21°C, altimeter 29.92. 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 092°, when the engine begins to run rough. Power is noticeably down — the tachometer is dropping. Dense development fills the landscape ahead and to both sides. KTPA's tower is active; you are in Class B airspace with a 1,200 ft MSL floor.
Aircraft: Piper Cherokee 180, solo, full fuel (both tanks), within limits. Carbureted Lycoming O-360-A, fixed-pitch prop, steam panel, fuel selector on RIGHT tank (you switched to RIGHT after takeoff per standard procedure). Nothing was written up; the airplane was airworthy at departure.
Pilot: you — a Private pilot, current, roughly 200 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 the initial power felt normal.
- {'label': 'Field', 'value': 'KTPA · Tampa'}
- {'label': 'Runways', 'value': '10/28 · 19L/01R · 19R/01L'}
- {'label': 'Elevation', 'value': '26 ft'}
- {'label': 'Aircraft', 'value': 'PA-28-180'}
- {'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 PA-28-180? (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 encountered carburetor ice on base leg for landing. The engine lost power. The pilot made a forced landing attempt on a road, swerved to avoid oncoming car lights, and struck a tree, resulting in substantial damage. The probable cause was loss of power due to carburetor icing in conditions conducive to serious icing, with contributing factors including unsuitable terrain and the tree obstacle. The pilot survived.
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 during the climb.
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, with contributing factors including night conditions, trees, and the pilot's impairment from ingestion of an over-the-counter antihistamine.
The real accidents cited above occurred at other airports and in other aircraft contexts — NOT at Tampa International Airport. KTPA has its own accident history (see field dominant patterns), but these specific 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 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.
Off Runway 10 at KTPA, the off-field environment is dense development with parks and wooded wetland — marginal for a forced landing. A delayed response means a forced landing in trees or development, not a field landing. The PA-28-180's fixed gear and fixed-pitch prop offer no advantage in a forced landing; the slowest possible touchdown speed (65 KIAS best glide) is your only tool to minimize impact energy.
Key lesson — In warm, moist Gulf Coast air, the PA-28-180's carbureted 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 dense development, the decision window is measured in seconds — not minutes. Off Runway 10 at KTPA, the off-field environment is dense Tampa development: a delayed response means a forced landing in marginal terrain, 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 Gulf Coast 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 PA-28-180's Lycoming O-360-A is carbureted; it has no fuel injection or 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 KTPA Runway 10, an engine failure on departure is a forced landing in dense development.
The off-field environment off Runway 10's departure end (heading 092°) is dense Tampa development with parks and wooded wetland — marginal for a forced landing. There is no open field, no clear road, no water. 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 marginal terrain. This is not a worst-case scenario; it is the geographic reality. Best glide is 65 KIAS. Fuel selector remains RIGHT. 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 10.
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 Tampa development 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), NYC02FA025 (2001 PA-28-180 carb ice / night forced landing), and localized to Tampa International Airport (KTPA).
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.
Open the interactive scenario →All sample scenarios · More Piper Cherokee 180 scenarios · More scenarios at KTPA