Partial Power Loss Leads to Emergency Landing After Muffler Baffle Failure (N2770M)

Incident Description

A sightseeing airplane was cruising at 1,500 feet when the pilot reported hearing a backfire and subsequently experiencing a partial loss of engine power. The pilot determined that sufficient power was not available to continue flight and performed an emergency landing in trees. The aircraft came to rest in the wooded area.

Investigation Findings

Following the incident, a maintenance facility examined the engine. The investigation found that the center muffler baffle had broken loose and become dislodged. This broken baffle blocked the exhaust flow, which resulted in a partial loss of engine power. The condition of the baffle led to the power reduction experienced during the flight.

Conclusion

The partial power loss was directly attributed to the mechanical failure of the muffler baffle. No other contributing factors were identified in the examination.