What happened
While the aircraft was operating in cruise flight, the engine suddenly lost power. The pilot initiated an immediate forced landing procedure, selecting a nearby road as the intended touchdown zone. As the aircraft approached the road surface, the pilot detected a vehicle present on the roadway. To avoid colliding with this obstacle, the pilot pulled back on the controls to flare higher than normal.
This excessive pitch-up attitude caused the aircraft to lose airspeed rapidly and stall just above the ground. The aircraft then descended hard onto the road surface. Upon impact, the nose gear collapsed, causing the aircraft to nosed over and come to rest in an adjacent ditch after striking a fence.
The investigation
Following the accident, investigators conducted a detailed inspection of the airframe and propulsion system to determine the root cause of the power loss. Examination of the engine revealed significant internal mechanical failure. Specifically, a broken number two rocker arm was found within the engine assembly. This component failure is consistent with the sudden loss of power observed during the cruise phase of flight.
Findings
The investigation determined that the primary factor leading to the accident was the mechanical failure of the engine due to the broken rocker arm. Contributing to the severity of the damage was the pilot's decision to flare high to avoid a ground obstacle, which resulted in a stall and hard landing. The aircraft sustained substantial damage to the nose section and landing gear.