Accident Sequence
While on the downwind leg of the traffic pattern, the pilot lowered the landing gear. During this action, a loud bang was heard from the firewall area, and the instrument panel caved in. The engine subsequently lost power. The pilot maneuvered the airplane toward the airport, but the airplane touched down approximately 500 to 1,000 feet short of the runway and collided with an airport perimeter fence.
Post-Accident Examination
A post-accident examination of the airplane revealed that the mixture control cable had separated at the mixture control arm. The engine control bracket, part number 21189-00, was missing. Without this bracket, the mixture control cable hangs freely below the engine, where the nose gear is located when in the retracted position. A kink in the mixture cable indicated that it became caught on a Zerk fitting located on the pivot point of the nose landing gear when the nose gear was extended to the down position. This catching resulted in the mixture control cable separating from the mixture control arm on the carburetor.
Maintenance Records
Maintenance records indicated that the airplane was approximately two months overdue for an annual inspection.