What happened
Shortly after takeoff, the pilot reported that the aircraft lost its ability to climb or maintain altitude. The pilot attempted to execute emergency procedures, but these efforts were unsuccessful. Consequently, the airplane settled into the tree tops.
The investigation
A post-accident examination of the propeller assembly showed no evidence of failure prior to the impact. An inspection and teardown of the engine revealed that the top piston ring in the #1 cylinder was broken; however, there was no evidence of scoring on the cylinder wall. Additionally, investigators found that the right magneto operated intermittently, particularly when the engine was at higher RPM settings.
At the time of the accident, the engine had a total time of 3,169.9 hours and had been in service for 2,064.5 hours since its last major overhaul. The aircraft had flown 2.4 hours since its most recent annual inspection.