Forced Landing in an Alfalfa Field After Left Engine Failure (N4231P)

Incident Overview During flight, the left engine began running rough and vibrating severely, prompting the pilot to shut it down. Unable to maintain altitude on the right engine, the pilot executed a forced landing in an alfalfa field. ## Mechanical Findings Examination of the left engine revealed that the right magneto had an accumulation of oil inside its case. Additionally, the spark plug lead from the left magneto for the #1 cylinder was internally damaged. ## Right Engine Condition Examination of the right engine showed that the intake duct between the air filter and the carburetor was deteriorated from exposure to hot exhaust pipes. A 3' x 1/2' piece of the duct had separated and was found caught on the carburetor venturi.