What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On August 6, 2026, at about 1355 eastern daylight time, a Piper aircraft PA-32-260 airplane, privacy data omitted, departed martin county airport (mcz), williamston, north carolina, enroute to ocracoke island airport (W95), ocracoke, north carolina. The aircraft climbed to and leveled off at 3,000 ft mean sea level. About 10 minutes after establishing cruise flight, the reciprocating engine experienced a total loss of power and started wind milling. The pilot established the airplane's best-glide airspeed, transmitted a mayday call, and attempted to restart the engine. Unable to restore engine power, he selected a logging path within a wooded area for a forced landing. During the landing, the airplane's left wing impacted several trees and came to rest in a ditch, resulting in substantial damage to the wings and fuselage.
As the FAA filed it
ON AUGUST 6, 2026, AT ABOUT 1355 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A PIPER AIRCRAFT PA-32-260 AIRPLANE, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, DEPARTED MARTIN COUNTY AIRPORT (MCZ), WILLIAMSTON, NORTH CAROLINA, ENROUTE TO OCRACOKE ISLAND AIRPORT (W95), OCRACOKE, NORTH CAROLINA. THE AIRCRAFT CLIMBED TO AND LEVELED OFF AT 3,000 FT MEAN SEA LEVEL. ABOUT 10 MINUTES AFTER ESTABLISHING CRUISE FLIGHT, THE RECIPROCATING ENGINE EXPERIENCED A TOTAL LOSS OF POWER AND STARTED WIND MILLING. THE PILOT ESTABLISHED THE AIRPLANE'S BEST-GLIDE AIRSPEED, TRANSMITTED A MAYDAY CALL, AND ATTEMPTED TO RESTART THE ENGINE. UNABLE TO RESTORE ENGINE POWER, HE SELECTED A LOGGING PATH WITHIN A WOODED AREA FOR A FORCED LANDING. DURING THE LANDING, THE AIRPLANE'S LEFT WING IMPACTED SEVERAL TREES AND CAME TO REST IN A DITCH, RESULTING IN SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE WINGS AND FUSELAGE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.