What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Lost power on climb to cruise. Landed in meadow. Landing gear folded. Found both magnetos were very loose. (.4)the pilot reported that as the aircraft climbed through about 3,000 feet AGL the engine began to misfire, then lost almost all power. Following an unsuccessful attempt to restore normal engine power, the pilot set up for a glide toward an abandoned airfield. With insufficient altitude to make the airfield, the pilot landed in a pasture and collided with bushes and hidden obstacles in the grass. Both magnetos were found loose in their clamps by technicians from an aircraft recovery firm who retrieved the wreckage. Logbook review disclosed that the engine had accumulated 67 hours since a major overhaul, which was accomplished may 1, 1997. This was the last maintenance recorded in the logbooks. (-23)uneventful flight to Lone Pine CA (O26) for fuel stop. Refueled with 100LL. Engine oil was checked and a fuel sample taken. PIC performed a pre-takeoff check, the magneto's and caruretor heat were normal with RPM drops at 1700RMP. Take off was at approximately 8:30AM. Climbed nw at 65MPH a irspeed. At aprroximately 8:55AM, altitude 8000FT about nw of Lone Pine, attitude alimbing at about 65 to 70 mph the engine started to missfire and instantly lost most of its power. Carbureotr heat is switched on and PIC tried magneto switch in all positions as well as trying differnet throttle settings. The engine failed completely about a 1/2 minute after initial problems. PIC established a glide toward an abondoned airfield 10 nautical miles nnw of Lone Pine. Did not make the airfield and landed in a meadow off highway us 395. ELT did not go off. Aifcraft sustained substancial damage. Landing gear collapsed on impact and structural damage to underside of aircraft, bent prop, left wing strut is bent and leading edge damage.
As the FAA filed it
LOST POWER ON CLIMB TO CRUISE. LANDED IN MEADOW. LANDING GEAR FOLDED. FOUND BOTH MAGNETOS WERE VERY LOOSE. (.4)THE PILOT REPORTED THAT AS THE AIRCRAFT CLIMBED THROUGH ABOUT 3,000 FEET AGL THE ENGINE BEGAN TO MISFIRE, THEN LOST ALMOST ALL POWER. FOLLOWING AN UNSUCCESSFUL ATTEMPT TO RESTORE NORMAL ENGINE POWER, THE PILOT SET UP FOR A GLIDE TOWARD AN ABANDONED AIRFIELD. WITH INSUFFICIENT ALTITUDE TO MAKE THE AIRFIELD, THE PILOT LANDED IN A PASTURE AND COLLIDED WITH BUSHES AND HIDDEN OBSTACLES IN THE GRASS. BOTH MAGNETOS WERE FOUND LOOSE IN THEIR CLAMPS BY TECHNICIANS FROM AN AIRCRAFT RECOVERY FIRM WHO RETRIEVED THE WRECKAGE. LOGBOOK REVIEW DISCLOSED THAT THE ENGINE HAD ACCUMULATED 67 HOURS SINCE A MAJOR OVERHAUL, WHICH WAS ACCOMPLISHED MAY 1, 1997. THIS WAS THE LAST MAINTENANCE RECORDED IN THE LOGBOOKS. (-23)UNEVENTFUL FLIGHT TO LONE PINE CA (O26) FOR FUEL STOP. REFUELED WITH 100LL. ENGINE OIL WAS CHECKED AND A FUEL SAMPLE TAKEN. PIC PERFORMED A PRE-TAKEOFF CHECK, THE MAGNETO'S AND CARURETOR HEAT WERE NORMAL WITH RPM DROPS AT 1700RMP. TAKE OFF WAS AT APPROXIMATELY 8:30AM. CLIMBED NW AT 65MPH A IRSPEED. AT APRROXIMATELY 8:55AM, ALTITUDE 8000FT ABOUT NW OF LONE PINE, ATTITUDE ALIMBING AT ABOUT 65 TO 70 MPH THE ENGINE STARTED TO MISSFIRE AND INSTANTLY LOST MOST OF ITS POWER. CARBUREOTR HEAT IS SWITCHED ON AND PIC TRIED MAGNETO SWITCH IN ALL POSITIONS AS WELL AS TRYING DIFFERNET THROTTLE SETTINGS. THE ENGINE FAILED COMPLETELY ABOUT A 1/2 MINUTE AFTER INITIAL PROBLEMS. PIC ESTABLISHED A GLIDE TOWARD AN ABONDONED AIRFIELD 10 NAUTICAL MILES NNW OF LONE PINE. DID NOT MAKE THE AIRFIELD AND LANDED IN A MEADOW OFF HIGHWAY US 395. ELT DID NOT GO OFF. AIFCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANCIAL DAMAGE. LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED ON IMPACT AND STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO UNDERSIDE OF AIRCRAFT, BENT PROP, LEFT WING STRUT IS BENT AND LEADING EDGE DAMAGE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N1659E · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.