Incident Overview
According to the pilot, while flying at an altitude of 3,000 feet and with the airport in sight, the engine experienced a fluctuation in RPM. Despite this anomaly, the pilot continued the flight. The engine subsequently stopped completely when the aircraft was above the airport.
Pilot's Actions
The pilot-in-command could not explain why he chose not to land at the airport after the engine failed. Instead, he attempted an off-airport landing. During the descent, the aircraft's right wing clipped a tree, and the aircraft then impacted the ground nose-first. There was no fire.
Fuel Information
The pilot reported that the aircraft had ten gallons of fuel on board at the start of the flight. He made one stop during the enroute portion to the destination airport, which was 120 nautical miles away from the origin.
Conclusion
The investigation report documented the engine failure and the pilot's decision not to land at the airport, but no probable cause was stated in the source.