What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Low pass to check gear doors. Hit hill avoiding egrets. Bent prop. Landed gear up off end rwy. (-23) the pilot requested a low pass over the non-controlled airport for a visual check of the right landing gear. While doing so over grassy area, a flock of birds (igrets) flew up in front of the aircraft. The pilot initiated an evasive maneuver to avoid the birds. At this point he impacted the ground. He became airborne again. The airplane was not performing properly, he flew approximately 1 mile impacted the ground again in a rough plowed field on the east side of the airport property just short of the free line. The pilot sustained minor injuries, the airplane was substantially damaged.
As the FAA filed it
LOW PASS TO CHECK GEAR DOORS. HIT HILL AVOIDING EGRETS. BENT PROP. LANDED GEAR UP OFF END RWY. (-23) THE PILOT REQUESTED A LOW PASS OVER THE NON-CONTROLLED AIRPORT FOR A VISUAL CHECK OF THE RIGHT LANDING GEAR. WHILE DOING SO OVER GRASSY AREA, A FLOCK OF BIRDS (IGRETS) FLEW UP IN FRONT OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE PILOT INITIATED AN EVASIVE MANEUVER TO AVOID THE BIRDS. AT THIS POINT HE IMPACTED THE GROUND. HE BECAME AIRBORNE AGAIN. THE AIRPLANE WAS NOT PERFORMING PROPERLY, HE FLEW APPROXIMATELY 1 MILE IMPACTED THE GROUND AGAIN IN A ROUGH PLOWED FIELD ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE AIRPORT PROPERTY JUST SHORT OF THE FREE LINE. THE PILOT SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES, THE AIRPLANE WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.