MEMORY JOGGER #5
CARBURETTOR HEAT
As
air moves through a carburettor its temperature drops and, if conditions are
right, water vapour in the air can condense and form ice. Most carburetted
aircraft are equipped with a control that routes heated air to the carburettor
to melt the ice and keep it from re-forming.
Applying
carb heat enriches the mixture and increases fuel consumption
for a given power setting because the heated air is less dense than
ambient air. Pilots should therefore lean while
operating with carb heat and enrich when it’s no longer needed.
Accident Report: A private pilot was en-route from
Boston to an airport in northern Virginia. Shortly after passing Dulles
Airport, the engine failed due to fuel exhaustion. The airplane was destroyed
and the occupants were severely injured in the off-airport landing. The pilot stated
that he had made the trip many times before with enough fuel to reach his
destination but, on this flight, carburettor heat was applied shortly after take-off and remained
on until the landing. The
richer mixture resulted in fuel exhaustion ten miles from his destination.
FLY SAFE!
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