Engine Failed, No ASI, Stalled, and Covered in Ice in the Mountains

[pelmet]

Best to operate the carb heat every once in a while. My last flight was about 30 minutes and I operated it at least three times in cruise......

C-FJJG, a privately registered, Piper Aircraft Corporation PA-28-151 (Piper Warrior) departed the Williams Lake Airport (CYWL), BC, on a cross-country flight, under visual flight rules, to Fort St. John Airport (CYXJ), BC, with only the pilot on board. While cruising at approximately 8000 feet above sea level (ASL), above mountainous terrain, the aircraft’s engine (Avco Lycoming O-320E3D) power output began to decrease. The weather at the time was scattered and broken cloud with mist and an outside air temperature of approximately -2 degrees Celsius. A short time after the initial power decrease, the engine RPM further declined to approximately 800 RPM. The pilot increased the throttle setting but there was no increase in engine power. Within a few minutes after that, the engine stopped. A Mayday call was broadcast on radio frequency 121.5 MHz and the pilot set the aircraft up to conduct a forced approach. The pilot began to glide toward a clearing in the valley below. Ice accumulated on the aircraft’s wings, the airspeed indicator stopped functioning, the aircraft began to lose lift, and the stall horn sounded. The pilot lowered the nose of the aircraft several times to regain lift during the glide, but the aircraft stalled into the treetops short of the intended landing site. During the collision, both wings separated from the aircraft. One wing remained suspended in the trees and the other wing fell to the ground below. The aircraft fuselage impacted the ground a short distance away and came to rest on its left side. The aircraft’s emergency locator transmitter (ELT) did not activate during the accident. The pilot sustained serious injuries. The aircraft was destroyed. The exit door was jammed closed during impact which hindered egress from the aircraft. Additionally, a large suitcase was blocking the right middle window which also hampered the pilot’s attempts at exiting the aircraft. After about an hour, the pilot was able to egress through a rear window that had broken during the accident. The pilot activated the SOS signal on a GPS tracking device which alerted emergency services. Canadian Armed Forces search and rescue and RCMP aircraft and personnel were dispatched to the scene. The site was eventually located, and the pilot was airlifted to hospital for treatment. The investigation found no indication that a component or system malfunction played a role in this occurrence.


....from TSB.

[CpnCrunch]

Unbelievable that he survived. I don't like the single door on Cherokees for that reason.

[The Hammer]

Sort of sounds like carb icing might have been part of the issue but these brief synapses are often lacking info/incorrect so it's hard to judge.