What happened
On the day of the accident, surface winds were light and variable, with a computed density altitude of 10,000 feet. During the final approach, the pilot reported that the aircraft began sinking rapidly. In an attempt to correct the descent, the pilot applied power; however, the left engine failed to respond, causing the aircraft to roll sharply to the left.
The pilot reduced power to regain control of the aircraft, at which point the plane contacted the tops of trees located 1,500 feet from and level with the approach end of the runway. Although the pilot managed a slight climb, the fear of a hard impact with the runway led to a second application of power. This caused the aircraft to roll left again, veer off the runway, and collide with additional trees. The pilot was not injured.
The investigation
During the investigation, the pilot noted that full rich mixture settings had been utilized during the approach. FAA inspectors examined the spark plugs and found them to be heavily sooted. An FAA airworthiness inspector performed a mechanical examination of the engines and found no mechanical discrepancies.