What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) The pilot stated prior to his descent from 1,400 feet MSL to approximately 700 feet MSL over the deleware river near Frenchtown NJ, he applied carburetor heat and retarded the throttle. During his level off at 500 feet AGL, he stated he turned off the carburetor heat and applied power. He stated the engine was unresponsive and tried pumping the throttle several times without success. The aircraft was originally on a northbound heading. The pilot spotted a large field to the east and turned in an attempt to glide to the field. The pilot stated he realized he would not make the field and attempted to land in a treeline west of the field as slow as possible. The aircraft contacted the trees which broke the wings causing them to parallel the fuselage. The fuselage rear of the cockpit bent in a downward position. There was no evidence of propeller rotation, and there was remaining fuel in the fuselage tank aft of the engine. OAT was 86F, relative humidity was 36. Winds were out of the north at 4 knots, and weather was VMC. There were only minor injuries to the passenger, the pilot's wife who occupied the front seat.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) THE PILOT STATED PRIOR TO HIS DESCENT FROM 1,400 FEET MSL TO APPROXIMATELY 700 FEET MSL OVER THE DELEWARE RIVER NEAR FRENCHTOWN NJ, HE APPLIED CARBURETOR HEAT AND RETARDED THE THROTTLE. DURING HIS LEVEL OFF AT 500 FEET AGL, HE STATED HE TURNED OFF THE CARBURETOR HEAT AND APPLIED POWER. HE STATED THE ENGINE WAS UNRESPONSIVE AND TRIED PUMPING THE THROTTLE SEVERAL TIMES WITHOUT SUCCESS. THE AIRCRAFT WAS ORIGINALLY ON A NORTHBOUND HEADING. THE PILOT SPOTTED A LARGE FIELD TO THE EAST AND TURNED IN AN ATTEMPT TO GLIDE TO THE FIELD. THE PILOT STATED HE REALIZED HE WOULD NOT MAKE THE FIELD AND ATTEMPTED TO LAND IN A TREELINE WEST OF THE FIELD AS SLOW AS POSSIBLE. THE AIRCRAFT CONTACTED THE TREES WHICH BROKE THE WINGS CAUSING THEM TO PARALLEL THE FUSELAGE. THE FUSELAGE REAR OF THE COCKPIT BENT IN A DOWNWARD POSITION. THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF PROPELLER ROTATION, AND THERE WAS REMAINING FUEL IN THE FUSELAGE TANK AFT OF THE ENGINE. OAT WAS 86F, RELATIVE HUMIDITY WAS 36. WINDS WERE OUT OF THE NORTH AT 4 KNOTS, AND WEATHER WAS VMC. THERE WERE ONLY MINOR INJURIES TO THE PASSENGER, THE PILOT'S WIFE WHO OCCUPIED THE FRONT SEAT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.