What happened
During a ferry flight, an unregistered airplane experienced a progressive loss of power across both engines. Approximately 15 minutes into the flight, the right engine began running rough. Roughly 15 minutes after this initial issue, the left engine stopped completely.
The pilot attempted to restart the left engine but was unsuccessful. Unable to maintain altitude, the pilot selected a road as a potential landing site. However, upon observing vehicles on that road, the pilot instead chose to land in a nearby wheat field. During the landing roll, the aircraft collided with a ditch.
The investigation
Post-accident inspections of the aircraft revealed mechanical failures in both engines. Investigators found a defective right magneto on the right engine. Additionally, a defective diaphragm was discovered within the throttle body of the left engine.