What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Pilot ranson thomson departed Greenville, ME. Airport for a personal sight seeing flight. At a cruising altitude at 2500 feet the pilot reinitiated a climb and the engine began an approach to a fairway on the Greenville golf course. The a/c was slow during the flare. The a/c contacted the ground hard. All three landing gear failed and were damaged. The right wing failed at its root and almost separated. The a/c skidded approx. 100 feet forward from the initial point of impact. (.4) on October 27, 2000, at 0845 eastern daylight time, a homebuilt wag-a-bond, N51AT, was substantially damaged during a forced landing near the Greenville municipal airport, Greenville, Maine. The certificated private pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the personal local flight conducted under 14 CFR part 91. According to the pilot, he departed Greenville about 0835, with 24 gallons of fuel onboard. While approximately 2 miles west of the airport, the pilot initiated a climbing turn from 2,500 feet MSL to 3,000 feet. Passing 2,800 feet, the airplane lost engine power. The pilot checked the position o f the fuel valves, selected the carburetor heat to "on" and mixture to full rich. He noted that after the loss of power, the propeller continued to windmill. Unable to regain engine power, the pilot elected to land on a golf course. While on final for a fairway, and flying towards rising terrain, the pilot trade airspeed for altitude to clear some trees. After clearing the trees, airspeed was inadequate to cushion the landing, and the airplane touched down hard, collapsing the landing gear. The airplane came to a stop, and the pilot exited under his own power. An examination conducted under the direction of the federal aviation administration revealed no preimpact failures or malfunctions with either the engine or engine accessories.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) PILOT RANSON THOMSON DEPARTED GREENVILLE, ME. AIRPORT FOR A PERSONAL SIGHT SEEING FLIGHT. AT A CRUISING ALTITUDE AT 2500 FEET THE PILOT REINITIATED A CLIMB AND THE ENGINE BEGAN AN APPROACH TO A FAIRWAY ON THE GREENVILLE GOLF COURSE. THE A/C WAS SLOW DURING THE FLARE. THE A/C CONTACTED THE GROUND HARD. ALL THREE LANDING GEAR FAILED AND WERE DAMAGED. THE RIGHT WING FAILED AT ITS ROOT AND ALMOST SEPARATED. THE A/C SKIDDED APPROX. 100 FEET FORWARD FROM THE INITIAL POINT OF IMPACT. (.4) ON OCTOBER 27, 2000, AT 0845 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A HOMEBUILT WAG-A-BOND, N51AT, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED DURING A FORCED LANDING NEAR THE GREENVILLE MUNICIPAL AIRPORT, GREENVILLE, MAINE. THE CERTIFICATED PRIVATE PILOT WAS NOT INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE PERSONAL LOCAL FLIGHT CONDUCTED UNDER 14 CFR PART 91. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, HE DEPARTED GREENVILLE ABOUT 0835, WITH 24 GALLONS OF FUEL ONBOARD. WHILE APPROXIMATELY 2 MILES WEST OF THE AIRPORT, THE PILOT INITIATED A CLIMBING TURN FROM 2,500 FEET MSL TO 3,000 FEET. PASSING 2,800 FEET, THE AIRPLANE LOST ENGINE POWER. THE PILOT CHECKED THE POSITION O F THE FUEL VALVES, SELECTED THE CARBURETOR HEAT TO "ON" AND MIXTURE TO FULL RICH. HE NOTED THAT AFTER THE LOSS OF POWER, THE PROPELLER CONTINUED TO WINDMILL. UNABLE TO REGAIN ENGINE POWER, THE PILOT ELECTED TO LAND ON A GOLF COURSE. WHILE ON FINAL FOR A FAIRWAY, AND FLYING TOWARDS RISING TERRAIN, THE PILOT TRADE AIRSPEED FOR ALTITUDE TO CLEAR SOME TREES. AFTER CLEARING THE TREES, AIRSPEED WAS INADEQUATE TO CUSHION THE LANDING, AND THE AIRPLANE TOUCHED DOWN HARD, COLLAPSING THE LANDING GEAR. THE AIRPLANE CAME TO A STOP, AND THE PILOT EXITED UNDER HIS OWN POWER. AN EXAMINATION CONDUCTED UNDER THE DIRECTION OF THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION REVEALED NO PREIMPACT FAILURES OR MALFUNCTIONS WITH EITHER THE ENGINE OR ENGINE ACCESSORIES.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.