Great story!

Yeah that carb ice can be a sneaky little bugger. Both times I experienced
it (the second time it was more severe and the engine went graveyard dead on
a few occasions ) I was in an 'Ice Maiden' g C-152.

Your experience sounds almost identical to my second (more severe) carb ice
incident, except that I opted to do an emergency landing at an airport that
I knew I could easily glide to even if I lost all power. For me, the reason
I did the precautionary landing is that I didn't feel that I had enough
experience to really say it was a carb ice issue I had been dealing with for
certain - even though I was sure of it. So, I opted to land, just in case
there was some other reason that my level of experience didn't permit me to
ferret out the actual cause.

Great job! Glad the Mrs. handled it well, also!

P.S. I may be 'preaching to the choir' at this point and telling you
something you already are aware of, but just in case you, or others reading
your post weren't aware; I did want to mention that carb ice doesn't require
there to be freezing or near freezing temperatures just outside the
aircraft. In fact, outside temps in the seventies with sufficient humidity
will produce carb ice.

In fact, the first time I ever experienced carb ice (less severe than my
second experience) the temperature outside the cabin was in the mid 70's and
it was generally a warm day, with relatively high humidity - that's all it
took...

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Good Flights!

Cecil
PP-ASEL
Student-IASEL

Check out my personal flying adventures from my first flight to the
checkride AND the continuing adventures beyond!
Complete with pictures and text at: www.bayareapilot.com

"I fly because it releases my mind from the tyranny of petty things."
- Antoine de Saint-Exupery -

"We who fly, do so for the love of flying. We are alive in the air with
this miracle that lies in our hands and beneath our feet"
- Cecil Day Lewis -