Accident Overview
An aircraft operating under visual flight rules (VFR) on a dark night over isolated terrain crashed during an emergency landing. The pilot reported that he thought the engine had exploded and lost visual contact with the flight instruments because oil was spraying onto the windshield. To maintain situational awareness, the right front passenger held a flashlight on the aircraft's flight instruments while the pilot executed the forced landing.
Investigation Findings
A post-accident investigation determined that one blade of the propeller, identified as McCauley blade number K102278YS, failed due to fatigue. This failure led to the circumstances that prompted the emergency landing and subsequent crash. No further details about the aircraft type, registration, engine count, date, operator, location, or occupants were provided in the official source.