What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) While enroute from mccarthy airport, islip, NY to the state of Indiana, the pilot reported: while at cruise, on an IFR flight plan, above an overcast in VMC conditions, the engine began to "run rough". After an extended period of time and some communication with ATC, the pilot executed an approach to runway 5 at the Bradford airport, Bradford, PA. A witness stated the aircraft was backfiring. The pilot stated he broke out of the weather too FAR down the runway to make a normal landing. The aircraft made a right turn and collided with the trees at an approximate heading of 210 degrees, approximately 180 yards from the right side of runway 5. The aircraft came to rest upright in an approximate direction of 140 degree. The pilot, the sole occupant, escaped the aircraft with minor injuries. At impact, the tail, aft fuselage, and left and right engines were torn from the aircraft, a post impact fire broke out and destroyed the airframe and wings. The fire did not destroy the engines with propellers attached and tail of the aircraft. An investigation by the engine manufacturer revealed the engines were capable of making designed power at all requested perimeters. Investigation by the propeller manufacturer indicated that the left propeller was damaged at a power-on setting, and the right propeller was damaged at a low or no power setting.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) WHILE ENROUTE FROM MCCARTHY AIRPORT, ISLIP, NY TO THE STATE OF INDIANA, THE PILOT REPORTED: WHILE AT CRUISE, ON AN IFR FLIGHT PLAN, ABOVE AN OVERCAST IN VMC CONDITIONS, THE ENGINE BEGAN TO "RUN ROUGH". AFTER AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME AND SOME COMMUNICATION WITH ATC, THE PILOT EXECUTED AN APPROACH TO RUNWAY 5 AT THE BRADFORD AIRPORT, BRADFORD, PA. A WITNESS STATED THE AIRCRAFT WAS BACKFIRING. THE PILOT STATED HE BROKE OUT OF THE WEATHER TOO FAR DOWN THE RUNWAY TO MAKE A NORMAL LANDING. THE AIRCRAFT MADE A RIGHT TURN AND COLLIDED WITH THE TREES AT AN APPROXIMATE HEADING OF 210 DEGREES, APPROXIMATELY 180 YARDS FROM THE RIGHT SIDE OF RUNWAY 5. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST UPRIGHT IN AN APPROXIMATE DIRECTION OF 140 DEGREE. THE PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT, ESCAPED THE AIRCRAFT WITH MINOR INJURIES. AT IMPACT, THE TAIL, AFT FUSELAGE, AND LEFT AND RIGHT ENGINES WERE TORN FROM THE AIRCRAFT, A POST IMPACT FIRE BROKE OUT AND DESTROYED THE AIRFRAME AND WINGS. THE FIRE DID NOT DESTROY THE ENGINES WITH PROPELLERS ATTACHED AND TAIL OF THE AIRCRAFT. AN INVESTIGATION BY THE ENGINE MANUFACTURER REVEALED THE ENGINES WERE CAPABLE OF MAKING DESIGNED POWER AT ALL REQUESTED PERIMETERS. INVESTIGATION BY THE PROPELLER MANUFACTURER INDICATED THAT THE LEFT PROPELLER WAS DAMAGED AT A POWER-ON SETTING, AND THE RIGHT PROPELLER WAS DAMAGED AT A LOW OR NO POWER SETTING.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.