20061226025939A

(-23) THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ HAD PASSED HIS PRIVATE PILOT CHECK ONLY 13 DAYS BEFORE THE DATE OF THE ACCIDENT. HE AND PASSENGER ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WERE ENROUTE FROM FTW TO ABI. ABOUT HALFWAY TO ABI, THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO SLOWLY LOSE RPM. THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ APPLIED CARB HEAT WITH NO CHANGE. RPM CONTINUED TO SLOWLY DECREASE OVER THE NEXT FIVE MINUTES SO THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ DECIDED TO LAND AT THE NEAREST AIRPORT. ZFW CENTER WAS PROVIDING FLIGHT FOLLOWING AND DIRECTED HIM TO EASTLAND MUNICIPAL. AT THIS TIME, IT WAS ALMOST DARK AND THE RUNWAY AT ETN WAS NOT LIT. PILOT CONTROLLED LIGHTING WAS AVAILABLE ON ANOTHER FREQUENCY BUT THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ DECIDED TO LAND AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. THE ENGINE HAD COMPLETELY QUIT BY THIS TIME. HE OVERSHOT THE RUNWAY AND ROLLED THROUGH A BARBED WIRE FENCE AND INTO A SMALL GROVE OF TREES. THE AIRCRAFT REMAINED ON ITS LANDING GEAR, BUT TREE LIMBS DAMAGED BOTH WINGS. NO INJURIES WERE SUFFERED BY THE OCCUPANTS. LATER INVESTIGATION FOUND THE MIXTURE CONTROL ARM ON THE CARBURETOR TO BE LOOSE AND MOVING THE CONTROL IN THE COCKPIT DID NOT RESULT IN ANY CHANGE IN MIXTURE. THE ENGINE WAS PROBABLY GETTING LEANER AND LEANER AS THE FLIGHT PROGRESSED, FINALLY RESULTING IN TOTAL POWER LOSS.