After flying for about an hour the pilot noticed that the engine was running roughly. A magneto check was carried out and a dead cut detected on the left magneto. The pilot decided to land the aircraft on a nearby claypan but misjudged the approach and attempted a go-around. The engine failed to deliver full power and the aircraft struck trees before coming to a halt. The spark plugs were found to be heavily fouled with lead, carbon and oil deposits. Following the cleaning of the plugs a significant rpm drop was no longer present when the magnetos were tested. However, the required minimum static engine rpm could not be obtained and subsequent inspection of the engine revealed it to be in generally poor mechanical condition.
