What happened
The aircraft was involved in a cross-country flight from Dayton to Cincinnati under visual meteorological conditions. The flight duration was brief, lasting only 35 minutes. During the approach phase to the airport, the engine ceased operating, necessitating a forced landing. The aircraft subsequently impacted trees during this maneuver.
The investigation
Upon arrival at the accident site, investigators inspected the wreckage and removed the engine for further examination at an FAA repair station. Initial observations at the scene revealed no evidence of a fuel leak. Notably, the fuel manifold line leading to the carburetor was found to be dry, despite the aircraft departing with 58 gallons of fuel on board.
Findings
At the repair facility, the engine underwent a test run. It started immediately and passed all malfunction checks within specification limits. This suggests that the engine itself may not have suffered from internal mechanical failure or permanent damage prior to the incident.