What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
privacy data omitted Had last departed old town, ME. (Old) and was cruising at 1500 ft in the area of Stetson, ME. At approximately 15:30 local time, he experienced a severe vibration which was followed by a loss of all engine power. He made an immediate forced landing into the trees. The aircraft impacted the trees in a northwesterly direction and finally came to rest in 3-4 feet of snow, heading north. The pilot sustained only minor injuries but the aircraft was substantially damaged. (Property/tree damage was negligible). On-scene inspection - tail boom buckled at forward end, right wing leading edge damaged, forward fuselage/cabin substantially damaged, left horizontal stab buckled, hour meter 171.15, fuel tanks intact and slightly more than half full. Control continuity was checked and no evidence of pre-impact failure or damage was found. The 3 blade composite prop had a significant section missing from one blade with no evidence of any impact damage on the remaining portion of the blade, or the other 2 blades. A visual check of the engine revealed that both carburetors had separated from the side of the engine and were hanging loose by the fuel lines and control cables.
As the FAA filed it
^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ HAD LAST DEPARTED OLD TOWN, ME. (OLD) AND WAS CRUISING AT 1500 FT IN THE AREA OF STETSON, ME. AT APPROXIMATELY 15:30 LOCAL TIME, HE EXPERIENCED A SEVERE VIBRATION WHICH WAS FOLLOWED BY A LOSS OF ALL ENGINE POWER. HE MADE AN IMMEDIATE FORCED LANDING INTO THE TREES. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE TREES IN A NORTHWESTERLY DIRECTION AND FINALLY CAME TO REST IN 3-4 FEET OF SNOW, HEADING NORTH. THE PILOT SUSTAINED ONLY MINOR INJURIES BUT THE AIRCRAFT WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED. (PROPERTY/TREE DAMAGE WAS NEGLIGIBLE). ON-SCENE INSPECTION - TAIL BOOM BUCKLED AT FORWARD END, RIGHT WING LEADING EDGE DAMAGED, FORWARD FUSELAGE/CABIN SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED, LEFT HORIZONTAL STAB BUCKLED, HOUR METER 171.15, FUEL TANKS INTACT AND SLIGHTLY MORE THAN HALF FULL.CONTROL CONTINUITY WAS CHECKED AND NO EVIDENCE OF PRE-IMPACT FAILURE OR DAMAGE WAS FOUND. THE 3 BLADE COMPOSITE PROP HAD A SIGNIFICANT SECTION MISSING FROM ONE BLADE WITH NO EVIDENCE OF ANY IMPACT DAMAGE ON THE REMAINING PORTION OF THE BLADE, OR THE OTHER 2 BLADES. A VISUAL CHECK OF THE ENGINE REVEALED THAT BOTH CARBURETORS HAD SEPARATED FROM THE SIDE OF THE ENGINE AND WERE HANGING LOOSE BY THE FUEL LINES AND CONTROL CABLES.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.