After about 20 minutes of flight, and while setting up to enter a local landing pattern, the engine began to slowly loose power, and the engine 'quit.' Subsequently, the pilot maneuvered the aircraft toward an open field, and at about 20 to 25 feet AGL, initiated a 'power off' stall. Upon ground contact, the airplane veered about 180 degrees 'violently to the right.' Inspection of the airplane by an FAA inspector after the accident, revealed that a single set screw had been used to secure the throttle cable at the throttle arm. The screw was found to be 'loose' in the carburetor barrel and did not appear to be tight against the cable end. A similar wire cable end was easily pushed through the barrel, indicating that the throttle control cable may not have been securely fastened to the throttle arm prior to the accident.

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:

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