Accident Sequence
According to a witness, the airplane experienced a gradual loss of engine power during a go-around. As the airplane was returning to land after the go-around, other witnesses reported hearing the engine "shut off and then start back up." The witnesses then observed the airplane collide with trees and terrain, and they saw black smoke rising from the wreckage. The airplane came to rest and burned on a westerly heading approximately 0.6 nautical miles from the airstrip.
Post-Accident Examination
Examination of the accident site revealed that the propeller, engine, cockpit, cabin, empennage, horizontal stabilizers, elevators, rudder, and vertical stabilizer remained intact by their tubular steel frames. Examination of the engine revealed it was damaged on all sides. There was no fuel found in the engine, and the carburetor heat was in the off position. Nothing was found during the course of the investigation that would have precluded the engine from producing power.
Weather Conditions
The reported temperature at an airport located about 30 miles to the north of the accident site was 81 degrees Fahrenheit and the dew point was 57 degrees Fahrenheit. According to the icing probability chart, the reported weather conditions were favorable for the formation of carburetor ice; however, the investigation could not determine whether carburetor icing was present in the engine at the time of the accident.