Accident Overview
During cruise flight, the pilot detected the smell of smoke and observed smoke in the cockpit. In response, the pilot entered a left downwind leg at a private airfield to conduct a precautionary landing. The landing was long and fast, causing the aircraft to run off the end of the runway.
Pilot Actions
After departing the runway surface, the pilot applied left rudder in an attempt to avoid a ditch. Despite this input, the airplane collided with a tree. The impact caused the aircraft to spin around its vertical axis to the right by 180 degrees before it came to a complete stop.
Aircraft Examination
A post-accident examination of the airplane revealed a melted insulator on the terminal ring connector attached to the oil temperature gauge. No further anomalies were reported in the source material.