What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Lost partial power. Elected land on private strip. Overshot strip. Hit trees on go around. Tape blocked airintake. (-23) aircraft departed hickory, NC at 1700. Intended destination of flight was raleigh, NC. Approximately 45 minutes into the flight while flying at 3000 feet the pilot reported that aircraft began to lose power. Pilot contacted greensboro approach control and attempted an emergency landing at nearby Johnson airport in sophia, NC. According to pilot the aircraft touched down halfway down the runway and he initiated a go around. Aircraft struck trees 800 feet beyond runway and pilot escaped uninjured. After the aircraft was removed from trees an inspection of the engine revealed that someone had wrapped tape around the flex duct that runs between the air filter and carburetor. The tape became loose from duct & migrated to carb. Base where it lodged midway in carb. Reducing air flow & causing engine to lose power.
As the FAA filed it
LOST PARTIAL POWER. ELECTED LAND ON PRIVATE STRIP. OVERSHOT STRIP. HIT TREES ON GO AROUND. TAPE BLOCKED AIRINTAKE. (-23) AIRCRAFT DEPARTED HICKORY, NC AT 1700. INTENDED DESTINATION OF FLIGHT WAS RALEIGH, NC. APPROXIMATELY 45 MINUTES INTO THE FLIGHT WHILE FLYING AT 3000 FEET THE PILOT REPORTED THAT AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO LOSE POWER. PILOT CONTACTED GREENSBORO APPROACH CONTROL AND ATTEMPTED AN EMERGENCY LANDING AT NEARBY JOHNSON AIRPORT IN SOPHIA, NC. ACCORDING TO PILOT THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN HALFWAY DOWN THE RUNWAY AND HE INITIATED A GO AROUND. AIRCRAFT STRUCK TREES 800 FEET BEYOND RUNWAY AND PILOT ESCAPED UNINJURED. AFTER THE AIRCRAFT WAS REMOVED FROM TREES AN INSPECTION OF THE ENGINE REVEALED THAT SOMEONE HAD WRAPPED TAPE AROUND THE FLEX DUCT THAT RUNS BETWEEN THE AIR FILTER AND CARBURETOR. THE TAPE BECAME LOOSE FROM DUCT & MIGRATED TO CARB. BASE WHERE IT LODGED MIDWAY IN CARB. REDUCING AIR FLOW & CAUSING ENGINE TO LOSE POWER.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.