What happened
The aircraft struck level terrain, resulting in its destruction and a post-impact fire. According to a witness at the scene, the airplane was seen facing northeast and appeared to be hovering or flying into the wind with very little forward progress. The pilot then banked the aircraft, completed a circuit, and performed a similar hovering maneuver before the plane entered a spin. During this sequence, the witness reported hearing the engine cut off, restart, and then fail again. The aircraft subsequently disappeared below the tree line, followed by the sight of smoke rising above the trees.
The investigation
Investigators examined the wreckage and found the fuselage aft of the cockpit bent downward by approximately 30 degrees. The control system remained continuous, and all flight control cables were found to be intact. The horizontal stabilizer jackscrew was set in a nose-down trim position.
Mechanical examination of the engine showed that it rotated freely and maintained continuity. An inspection of the upper spark plugs revealed no anomalies. Thumb compression tests were successful on cylinders 2, 3, and 4, and no issues were found after removing cylinder number 1 for inspection. While the left magneto produced a spark when rotated by hand, the right magneto failed to produce a spark and showed evidence of heat damage.