MIA87FA239

The acft had been abandoned in the Bahamas for aprx 7 months. A plt, with no known flt time in a Cessna 421, flew it to ft lauderdale. Except to avoid clds, he made the flt at a low alt & airspeed. When asked why, he said he was trying to save the engs. The plt then depd twd an area of dark clds & tstms. When he did not arrive at the destn, a search was initiated. The acft was fnd 4 days later where it crashed in a steep nose down attitude. Radar data showed the acft madesvrl hdg chgs & was rtrng to the dep arpt before it crashed. The fwd part of the acft was buried in a swamp, but the aft edges of the wings, fuselage & empennage were visible above water. The props had rotational dmg; no preimpact mech failure or malfunction was evident. An exam of the rgt eng revealed its #2 push rods & rocker arms/shafts/retainers had been removed before flt. Also, a #2 spark plug was stowed with its ignition lead attached. The acft owner was not fnd. The plt's med cert was dated 5/28/85.