Incident Overview
During cruise flight, the aircraft experienced a sudden and complete loss of engine power. The pilot attempted to restart the engine but was unsuccessful, prompting a forced landing on a nearby gravel road.
Forced Landing Attempt
In the course of the forced landing, the pilot failed to adequately compensate for strong crosswinds. As a result, the aircraft inadvertently clipped the top of a tree located immediately adjacent to the approach end of the intended landing section of the road.
Post-Accident Inspection
A post-accident inspection of the engine revealed that the carburetor had separated from the engine in flight. The separation occurred because no nuts were present on any of the four carburetor mount retaining lug bolts. The carburetor mounting flange holes remained intact, and none of the four mounting bolts showed signs of damaged or distorted threads.
Pilot Impairment
Subsequent toxicological analysis determined that recent use of marijuana had impaired the pilot's judgment at the time of the forced landing attempt.