Incident Description
Witnesses observed an airplane flying at low altitude with a rough running engine. Black smoke was emanating from the exhaust pipe. According to the witnesses, the airplane then entered a steep left bank, descended toward the ground in a steep pitch-down attitude, leveled off at tree-top height, and pitched down again. The aircraft subsequently collided with the ground, bounced into the air, and impacted the ground a second time.
Post-Crash Fire and Damage
Following the collision, a fire consumed the center fuselage, engine compartment, and inboard sections of the wings.
Examination of Carburetor and Service Bulletin Compliance
During the post-accident examination, the carburetor was found to contain composite floats that were charred and bellowed outward. The carburetor manufacturer had published a mandatory service bulletin requiring replacement of the composite floats with metal ones. However, a review of the accident airplane's engine and airframe logbooks revealed no record that this replacement had been performed.