Incident Details
During an instrument flight rules (IFR) approach to an airport, the pilot reduced the throttle to begin the final descent. As the throttle was pulled back, the control moved all the way to the idle position, causing manifold pressure to drop to zero and the engine to idle. The pilot attempted to push the throttle forward to restore power, but these efforts were unsuccessful. After exiting the clouds, the pilot observed no roads in the vicinity and determined that the terrain was rough. Consequently, the pilot elected to perform a gear-up landing to minimize potential damage.
Postaccident Examination
A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed a significant issue with the throttle cable: the cable had formed a large loop. Due to this loop, moving the throttle control in the cockpit had no effect on the fuel control unit. The cable loop effectively disconnected the cockpit throttle input from the engine's fuel metering system, explaining the loss of throttle control and the inability to increase power during the approach.