What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Acft crashed due to inflight break up, 2 POB suffered fatal inj, acft was destroyed. Middletown, RI.(.4) at 6,000 feet, the instrument-rated pilot reported an engine failure, and received vectors to an airport. After the turn, the airplane was 6 nautical miles away, at 4,000 feet. After descending through clouds, the pilot reported, at 1,200 feet, the airport in sight. The airplane then descended rapidly, straight ahead, and hit the ground upright, about 1/2 mile short of the runway. The initial impact point was at the FAR end of a pasture, which extended off to the pilot's right. The airplane then bounced and collided with a stone wall. Witnesses thought the airplane would make the runway, but it appeared to level off, climb slightly, then fall forward. The stall warning horn sounded upon exiting the clouds, and remained on until impact. The landing gear was in transit at impact. Radar revealed a groundspeed of 81 knots at 1,200 feet, which decreased to 62 knots by 400 feet. The operating handbook stated that power off, 81 knots were required to assure controllability during the flare. The engine crankshaft was found broken in two places. The number two bearing was pounded, and h AD moved in its saddle. Saddle oil lubrication holes were blocked by metal, and the crankshaft exhibited ladder cracking. (-23) engine failure on IFR fit. ATC attempted to vector aircraft bo uuu. Aircraft unable to make runway, attempting landing in field. Contacted ground, struck a small rock fence, hit a tree with the right wing and fire erupted. Both middle seat passengers were able to escape. The pilot and front seat passenger were fatalities.
As the FAA filed it
ACFT CRASHED DUE TO INFLIGHT BREAK UP, 2 POB SUFFERED FATAL INJ, ACFT WAS DESTROYED. MIDDLETOWN, RI.(.4) AT 6,000 FEET, THE INSTRUMENT-RATED PILOT REPORTED AN ENGINE FAILURE, AND RECEIVED VECTORS TO AN AIRPORT. AFTER THE TURN, THE AIRPLANE WAS 6 NAUTICAL MILES AWAY, AT 4,000 FEET. AFTER DESCENDING THROUGH CLOUDS, THE PILOT REPORTED, AT 1,200 FEET, THE AIRPORT IN SIGHT. THE AIRPLANE THEN DESCENDED RAPIDLY, STRAIGHT AHEAD, AND HIT THE GROUND UPRIGHT, ABOUT 1/2 MILE SHORT OF THE RUNWAY. THE INITIAL IMPACT POINT WAS AT THE FAR END OF A PASTURE, WHICH EXTENDED OFF TO THE PILOT'S RIGHT. THE AIRPLANE THEN BOUNCED AND COLLIDED WITH A STONE WALL. WITNESSES THOUGHT THE AIRPLANE WOULD MAKE THE RUNWAY, BUT IT APPEARED TO LEVEL OFF, CLIMB SLIGHTLY, THEN FALL FORWARD. THE STALL WARNING HORN SOUNDED UPON EXITING THE CLOUDS, AND REMAINED ON UNTIL IMPACT. THE LANDING GEAR WAS IN TRANSIT AT IMPACT. RADAR REVEALED A GROUNDSPEED OF 81 KNOTS AT 1,200 FEET, WHICH DECREASED TO 62 KNOTS BY 400 FEET. THE OPERATING HANDBOOK STATED THAT POWER OFF, 81 KNOTS WERE REQUIRED TO ASSURE CONTROLLABILITY DURING THE FLARE. THE ENGINE CRANKSHAFT WAS FOUND BROKEN IN TWO PLACES. THE NUMBER TWO BEARING WAS POUNDED, AND H AD MOVED IN ITS SADDLE. SADDLE OIL LUBRICATION HOLES WERE BLOCKED BY METAL, AND THE CRANKSHAFT EXHIBITED LADDER CRACKING. (-23) ENGINE FAILURE ON IFR FIT. ATC ATTEMPTED TO VECTOR AIRCRAFT BO UUU. AIRCRAFT UNABLE TO MAKE RUNWAY, ATTEMPTING LANDING IN FIELD. CONTACTED GROUND, STRUCK A SMALL ROCK FENCE, HIT A TREE WITH THE RIGHT WING AND FIRE ERUPTED. BOTH MIDDLE SEAT PASSENGERS WERE ABLE TO ESCAPE. THE PILOT AND FRONT SEAT PASSENGER WERE FATALITIES.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.