What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
While in cruise flight at 3,500 ft MSL (mean sea level) the pilot stated that he heard a loud bang and the engine immediately quit. The pilot attempted to restart the engine without success. He pointed the aircraft toward a clearing in the trees which was a transfer station. The aircraft was unable to glide to the clearing and instead contacted the tree tops and settled to the ground nose first. The pilot extracted himself from the aircraft with minor injuries.
The muffler was not attached to the aircraft and was not found near the accident site. Two of the three propeller blades were broken nearly in half. The pieces of the propeller that came unattached were not found at the accident site. The third propeller blade had minor knicks on one side. The nose of the aircraft was compressed. The left side of the tail had substantial damage. The cockpit, wings, and aft fuselage remained primarily entact.
As the FAA filed it
WHILE IN CRUISE FLIGHT AT 3,500 FT MSL (MEAN SEA LEVEL) THE PILOT STATED THAT HE HEARD A LOUD BANG AND THE ENGINE IMMEDIATELY QUIT. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO RESTART THE ENGINE WITHOUT SUCCESS. HE POINTED THE AIRCRAFT TOWARD A CLEARING IN THE TREES WHICH WAS A TRANSFER STATION. THE AIRCRAFT WAS UNABLE TO GLIDE TO THE CLEARING AND INSTEAD CONTACTED THE TREE TOPS AND SETTLED TO THE GROUND NOSE FIRST. THE PILOT EXTRACTED HIMSELF FROM THE AIRCRAFT WITH MINOR INJURIES.
THE MUFFLER WAS NOT ATTACHED TO THE AIRCRAFT AND WAS NOT FOUND NEAR THE ACCIDENT SITE. TWO OF THE THREE PROPELLER BLADES WERE BROKEN NEARLY IN HALF. THE PIECES OF THE PROPELLER THAT CAME UNATTACHED WERE NOT FOUND AT THE ACCIDENT SITE. THE THIRD PROPELLER BLADE HAD MINOR KNICKS ON ONE SIDE. THE NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT WAS COMPRESSED. THE LEFT SIDE OF THE TAIL HAD SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE COCKPIT, WINGS, AND AFT FUSELAGE REMAINED PRIMARILY ENTACT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.