Primary finding
Probable cause
A loss of engine power due to the pilot’s inadvertent closure of the mixture control which starved the engine of fuel and resulted in a hard landing and collision with terrain.
Investigator assessment
Analysis narrative
The pilot reported that, while on final approach he was high, so he reduced power, extended 10o of flaps and entered a slip while he applied carburetor heat. Shortly thereafter the engine lost power. The pilot unsuccessfully attempted an engine restart. The pilot then made a turn to an aera that he thought was suitable for landing. The airplane landed hard and subsequently came to rest inverted, substantially damaging the vertical stabilizer and horizontal stabilizer. The pilot reported that he mistakenly pulled the mixture control rather than carburetor heat. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.