What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The pilot stated that he was in cruise flight at 6000' MSL on an IFR flight plan from kettering, oh (K173) to branson, MO (kplk). He felt the propeller begin to surge. He turned on his fuel pump, switched fuel tanks, but did not pull carb heat. His actions did not correct the propeller surging. The engine was loosing power, so he had to perform an emergency landing off airport. He had a first thought he would land on a road, but decided it was not straight enough. He chose a field along the side of the road. His airspeed was too high to land in the selected field. He landed on the other side of a wire fence, which defined the boundary of the field he originally chose to land on in an unkept field with much vegetation. The airplane's right wing hit what he thought was a small tree or large bush and spun around almost 180 degrees from the direction of approach. There were two on board, with no injuries suffered by either occupant.
As the FAA filed it
THE PILOT STATED THAT HE WAS IN CRUISE FLIGHT AT 6000' MSL ON AN IFR FLIGHT PLAN FROM KETTERING, OH (K173) TO BRANSON, MO (KPLK). HE FELT THE PROPELLER BEGIN TO SURGE. HE TURNED ON HIS FUEL PUMP, SWITCHED FUEL TANKS, BUT DID NOT PULL CARB HEAT. HIS ACTIONS DID NOT CORRECT THE PROPELLER SURGING. THE ENGINE WAS LOOSING POWER, SO HE HAD TO PERFORM AN EMERGENCY LANDING OFF AIRPORT. HE HAD A FIRST THOUGHT HE WOULD LAND ON A ROAD, BUT DECIDED IT WAS NOT STRAIGHT ENOUGH. HE CHOSE A FIELD ALONG THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. HIS AIRSPEED WAS TOO HIGH TO LAND IN THE SELECTED FIELD. HE LANDED ON THE OTHER SIDE OF A WIRE FENCE, WHICH DEFINED THE BOUNDARY OF THE FIELD HE ORIGINALLY CHOSE TO LAND ON IN AN UNKEPT FIELD WITH MUCH VEGETATION. THE AIRPLANE'S RIGHT WING HIT WHAT HE THOUGHT WAS A SMALL TREE OR LARGE BUSH AND SPUN AROUND ALMOST 180 DEGREES FROM THE DIRECTION OF APPROACH. THERE WERE TWO ON BOARD, WITH NO INJURIES SUFFERED BY EITHER OCCUPANT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.