What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Aircraft owner departed butler county airport (khao) near cincinnati Ohio and landed in Zanesville Ohio (kzzv) with no issues. Pilot then took off from zzv with another aircraft flying nearby to take aerial photos of his aircraft. After photo shoot was complete the pilot of the accident aircraft gave a "rudder wag" to signify he was going to head back to zzv. At that moment the engine experienced a sudden loss of power. The pilot reported the following: "immediately after (the rudder wag), my power setting dropped by over 1000RPM (3700RPM  2600RPM) and began pulling with about twice the fuel (1.8GPH  3.0GPH). I was able to maintain my current airspeed (about 80MPH) and altitude (about 1000FT AGL) so I announced that I was having engine trouble and was planning a strait in for runway 16. When this started, I was approximately 4 miles north of the airport and noticed interstate 70 close to the airport that I planned to use if I could not make the field. A moment after announcing my intentions, my RPM setting began to drop even further. Losing a steady 20-RPM per second I knew I would not be able to make the airport. Seeing a neighborhood between I-70 and my current position - now about 3 miles from the airport - I looked right, saw a forest and looked left to see a dogleg of a road pointed into the wind with fields beyond it. Seeing this as my best option, I told privacy data omitted (trail plane pilot)my intentions over the Zanesville UNICOM frequency and began a descending right turn down to the road. Narrowly missing some trees and not spotting any traffic, I lined up for the road with too much energy and although inches from the ground, knew I could not stop in time. " the pilot had too much energy to safely land on the road and opted for the adjacent corn field. He hit the corn at approximately 45 mph and came to rest upside down in the corn. He did not sustain any major injuries but had to wait about 1 hour for first responders to flip[the aircraft off of him to free him from the wreckage. The engine never fully stopped running but was not creating enough power to sustain flight.
As the FAA filed it
AIRCRAFT OWNER DEPARTED BUTLER COUNTY AIRPORT (KHAO) NEAR CINCINNATI OHIO AND LANDED IN ZANESVILLE OHIO (KZZV) WITH NO ISSUES. PILOT THEN TOOK OFF FROM ZZV WITH ANOTHER AIRCRAFT FLYING NEARBY TO TAKE AERIAL PHOTOS OF HIS AIRCRAFT. AFTER PHOTO SHOOT WAS COMPLETE THE PILOT OF THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT GAVE A "RUDDER WAG" TO SIGNIFY HE WAS GOING TO HEAD BACK TO ZZV. AT THAT MOMENT THE ENGINE EXPERIENCED A SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER. THE PILOT REPORTED THE FOLLOWING: "IMMEDIATELY AFTER (THE RUDDER WAG), MY POWER SETTING DROPPED BY OVER 1000RPM (3700RPM  2600RPM) AND BEGAN PULLING WITH ABOUT TWICE THE FUEL (1.8GPH  3.0GPH). I WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN MY CURRENT AIRSPEED (ABOUT 80MPH) AND ALTITUDE (ABOUT 1000FT AGL) SO I ANNOUNCED THAT I WAS HAVING ENGINE TROUBLE AND WAS PLANNING A STRAIT IN FOR RUNWAY 16. WHEN THIS STARTED, I WAS APPROXIMATELY 4 MILES NORTH OF THE AIRPORT AND NOTICED INTERSTATE 70 CLOSE TO THE AIRPORT THAT I PLANNED TO USE IF I COULD NOT MAKE THE FIELD. A MOMENT AFTER ANNOUNCING MY INTENTIONS, MY RPM SETTING BEGAN TO DROP EVEN FURTHER. LOSING A STEADY 20-RPM PER SECOND I KNEW I WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO MAKE THE AIRPORT. SEEING A NEIGHBORHOOD BETWEEN I-70 AND MY CURRENT POSITION - NOW ABOUT 3 MILES FROM THE AIRPORT - I LOOKED RIGHT, SAW A FOREST AND LOOKED LEFT TO SEE A DOGLEG OF A ROAD POINTED INTO THE WIND WITH FIELDS BEYOND IT. SEEING THIS AS MY BEST OPTION, I TOLD ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ (TRAIL PLANE PILOT)MY INTENTIONS OVER THE ZANESVILLE UNICOM FREQUENCY AND BEGAN A DESCENDING RIGHT TURN DOWN TO THE ROAD. NARROWLY MISSING SOME TREES AND NOT SPOTTING ANY TRAFFIC, I LINED UP FOR THE ROAD WITH TOO MUCH ENERGY AND ALTHOUGH INCHES FROM THE GROUND, KNEW I COULD NOT STOP IN TIME. " THE PILOT HAD TOO MUCH ENERGY TO SAFELY LAND ON THE ROAD AND OPTED FOR THE ADJACENT CORN FIELD. HE HIT THE CORN AT APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH AND CAME TO REST UPSIDE DOWN IN THE CORN. HE DID NOT SUSTAIN ANY MAJOR INJURIES BUT HAD TO WAIT ABOUT 1 HOUR FOR FIRST RESPONDERS TO FLIP[THE AIRCRAFT OFF OF HIM TO FREE HIM FROM THE WRECKAGE. THE ENGINE NEVER FULLY STOPPED RUNNING BUT WAS NOT CREATING ENOUGH POWER TO SUSTAIN FLIGHT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.