Accident Summary
A cargo flight from Elyria to Cincinnati was diverted to Mansfield-Lahm Airport after the pilot reported engine technical problems. While completing a last turn, the airplane stalled and crashed a few miles from the airfield. The aircraft was destroyed and the pilot, the sole occupant, was seriously injured.
Sequence of Events
The flight was conducted at night. While cruising, the pilot encountered technical problems with an engine. Air traffic control cleared the pilot to divert to Mansfield-Lahm Airport. During the approach, while completing a last turn, the airplane stalled and subsequently crashed a few miles from the airfield. The accident resulted in the destruction of the aircraft and serious injuries to the pilot.
Probable Cause and Contributing Factors
The official probable cause of the accident was a powerplant failure due to a fuel injection system issue. Contributing factors reported include foreign material affecting normal operations, engine loaded up, failure to maintain flying speed, misjudged distance and altitude, airport conditions, complete engine failure, rubber diaphragm ruptured, engine flooded, low approach due to wrong visibility cues from an upsloping runway, and a spin during the turn.