Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172
Flight Crew Private
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 18; Flight Crew Total 262; Flight Crew Type 180
Situational Awareness; Troubleshooting
Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical
Air Traffic Control Provided Assistance; Flight Crew Landed in Emergency Condition; Flight Crew Diverted; Flight Crew Regained Aircraft Control; Flight Crew Requested ATC Assistance / Clarification; General Maintenance Action
Aircraft
I was flying heading 355 northbound towards the bay at 1100 feet; picking up the ATIS that was at that time information GOLF (G). Shortly after correcting the altimeter setting [while] listening [to] the ATIS; [I was] cruising at 2350 RPM with the mixture full rich position; the engine quit with a COMPLETE loss of power and the propeller at 1800 RPM with a complete engine silence. The nose of the aircraft was pitching down between five and ten degrees and my immediate action was [to] turn off in the audio panel COMM 2 (ATIS). COMM 1 was already [on] ZZZ Tower. During the engine silence; I said 'TOWER; Aircraft X MAYDAY MAYDAY MAYDAY' with my left hand on the [push to talk] and the right hand changing the fuel tank selector to right from both and mixture back 40 percent throttle full open.The event took place in the southern side of a hospital at 9 o'clock; the [highway had] plenty of cars both ways; and at 3 o'clock [there was a hotel]. After the mayday call; ZZZ Tower called me back; and I had a lazy engine response at 950 feet altimeter indication and 90 of indicated airspeed. With the mixture back 40 percent; my full power setting was 2300 RPM when normally [it] is 2500. [The] aircraft was climbing slowly to 1500 feet to be in a safer altitude in case of another similar event. I was cleared to land Runway XX straight in and the engine tried to quit two times during the approach in long final and in short final.Next day I spoke to the technician and he told me in the phone call that he changed spark plugs and there was a carb heat wire malfunction and I understood that an intake tube was melted and it was changed.
Cessna 172 pilot reported a loss of engine power in flight.