Incident Summary
A pilot recounted an engine malfunction that occurred during a descent from 4,500 feet. The pilot stated that he descended to exit cloud cover, and at 1,300 feet the engine became rough. The engine's RPM dropped from 2,300 to 1,000.
Carburetor Heat and Magneto Check
The pilot acknowledged that he did not use carburetor heat prior to or during the descent. During the descent, he checked the magnetos and found that the right magneto was inoperative.
Post-Incident Observations
The pilot reported that when the recovery team returned to the accident site the following morning, scavengers had almost completely stripped the aircraft.