Cessna 150
Air Traffic Control Fully Certified; Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Commercial
Air Traffic Control Non Radar 2; Air Traffic Control Radar 1; Flight Crew Last 90 Days 50; Flight Crew Total 1000; Flight Crew Type 350
Workload; Time Pressure
Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical
Air Traffic Control Provided Assistance; Flight Crew Landed in Emergency Condition; Flight Crew Overcame Equipment Problem; Flight Crew Diverted; General Maintenance Action
Aircraft
I was VFR at 8500 when my aircraft experienced a sudden loss of power. I immediately applied carburetor heat and slightly enriched the mixture; which kept the engine running. Continuously tried a variety of settings with mixture; throttle; and carb heat. When carb heat was removed; the engine seemed to die. After a few minutes and a few hundred feet of descent; I definitively determined this was not carburetor icing and elected to divert to ZZZ airport and [advised ATC]. I suspected some sort of blockage; either to airflow or possible contaminated fuel (though I had sampled the fuel at the last point of departure with negative results). I was able to control the descent and land at ZZZ without incident; where I informed the Controller of my safe arrival. A&P on field inspected the aircraft and found the intake air filter was clogged and replaced the filter which solved the problem; aircraft performed satisfactorily on further runup and was returned to service.
C150 pilot reported that a loss of engine power in cruise resulted in a diversion.