Event
After takeoff, while climbing through 3,500 feet, the aircraft's engine began making abnormal noises. The pilot initiated a descent toward a nearby airport. The engine continued to produce partial power but failed completely before the airplane could reach the runway.
Landing
During the landing approach, the pilot aligned the aircraft with Runway 32. The reported wind was from 200 degrees at 15 knots. As the pilot set up for landing, the airspeed increased to 100 knots. The excessive speed prevented the airplane from settling onto the ground during the landing roll. Believing he was running out of runway, the pilot turned toward an adjacent field. After flying over several obstructions, the aircraft struck a ditch and nosed over.
Investigation
Post-accident examination revealed that an engine mount was broken. The shifting of the engine caused the mixture control to contact an engine mount crossbar, which resulted in an engine shutdown in flight.