Piper PA-24 N6334P accident near Paris, Idaho

Probable cause

A total loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined.

NTSB analysis

On a personal cross-country flight, during cruise, the pilot noted an increase in oil temperature. He made the decision to divert to a nearby airport that was about 3 nautical miles (nm) away. As the pilot made the turn back to the airport, the engine lost total power. During the descent he made several unsuccessful attempts to restart the engine. He did not recall lowering the landing gear but determined that it was safe to do so. He did not lower the flaps or turn on the carburetor heat. About 500 ft above ground level (agl), he realized that he was not going to make the runway and elected to make a forced landing to the surrounding area. During the landing sequence, the airplane impacted a berm and a fence post before it came to rest about 100 ft short of the runway.

Postaccident engine examination revealed no evidence of preaccident mechanical malfunction or failure that would have precluded normal operation.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for WPR21LA220 for the full record.