What happened
On the day of the accident, a twin-engine aircraft departed the airport under a ferry permit, traveling in a southeasterly direction. Approximately 25 minutes into the flight, while cruising at 3,500 feet, the pilot experienced a significant loss of power from the left engine, which subsequently failed. Following unsuccessful attempts to restart the engine, the pilot feathered the left engine.
Following the failure, the right engine was unable to generate more than 29 inches of manifold pressure without running rough. The pilot attempted an emergency landing at Shelby County Airport, the nearest available airfield. However, as the aircraft continued to lose altitude, the pilot elected to perform a forced landing on a road located 3 miles southeast of the airport. During the landing, the aircraft struck a raised manhole cover and two roadside objects.
There were no fatalities reported in the accident.
The investigation
Post-accident examination revealed the aircraft came to rest on the right side of the road with the right landing gear detached. The leading edge of the right wing sustained two tears.
Investigators performed a test run of the left engine for four minutes at 1,800 RPM. During this test, the propeller was cycled out of the feathered position, and the magnetos, oil pressure, and fuel pressure were all verified to be within normal operating standards. The aircraft had not been flown for over two years and had been stored outside a hangar for two weeks prior to the flight. While the fuel tanks had been filled to capacity on the morning of the accident, no contaminants were discovered in the fuel.