What happened
At approximately 10:00 am, an aircraft departed St. Simons Island, Georgia, bound for Nashville, Tennessee, with plans to refuel before continuing to Chicago, Illinois. During the flight, the aircraft encountered storm activity in Georgia, necessitating a detour.
While the pilot was operating the aircraft on autopilot, the engine lost power. The pilot took manual control and contacted air traffic services to report engine problems and request information regarding the nearest airport. Radio communications indicated that the aircraft could not be seen on radar. Although an airport was identified as being three to five miles away, the pilot determined the aircraft could not reach that distance and decided to attempt a landing in a field.
The aircraft circled the field approximately two times before impacting a wooded area.
The investigation
Post-impact examination of the aircraft revealed that the right wing remained attached to the fuselage but was angled upward at approximately 35 degrees, supported by tree branches. The fuel tanks in the right wing were breached, and no fuel was found at the scene. However, the left main and auxiliary fuel tanks remained intact, containing approximately 13 gallons of remaining fuel. The fuel selector was found in the position for the right tank. Investigators found no mechanical evidence that would have prevented the engine from producing power prior to the impact.