What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Return night cross country flight from farmington, NM, during approach to land at Grand Junction, CO the aircraft engine started to run rough and sputter. The pilot requested runway 04 at Grand Junction (Walker Field) co. but when it was apparent he could not land at the airport he elected to land on I-70 east of the airfield. In a descending turn to the interstate highway the aircraft hit power lines lodging a wire in the left wing causing the wires to stretch and snapping off 2 power poles allowing the aircraft to decellerate prior to hitting the ground along side the interstate highway. Impact broke the tail section off the aircraft, bent the left landing gear underneath the airframe, canopy was popped from the aircraft, left wing started on fire after landing and electrical power burned rivets off, several holes in fuselage, ground straps from hinge points and all metal sealing tape on airplane.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) RETURN NIGHT CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT FROM FARMINGTON, NM, DURING APPROACH TO LAND AT GRAND JUNCTION, CO THE AIRCRAFT ENGINE STARTED TO RUN ROUGH AND SPUTTER. THE PILOT REQUESTED RUNWAY 04 AT GRAND JUNCTION (WALKER FIELD) CO. BUT WHEN IT WAS APPARENT HE COULD NOT LAND AT THE AIRPORT HE ELECTED TO LAND ON I-70 EAST OF THE AIRFIELD. IN A DESCENDING TURN TO THE INTERSTATE HIGHWAY THE AIRCRAFT HIT POWER LINES LODGING A WIRE IN THE LEFT WING CAUSING THE WIRES TO STRETCH AND SNAPPING OFF 2 POWER POLES ALLOWING THE AIRCRAFT TO DECELLERATE PRIOR TO HITTING THE GROUND ALONG SIDE THE INTERSTATE HIGHWAY. IMPACT BROKE THE TAIL SECTION OFF THE AIRCRAFT, BENT THE LEFT LANDING GEAR UNDERNEATH THE AIRFRAME, CANOPY WAS POPPED FROM THE AIRCRAFT, LEFT WING STARTED ON FIRE AFTER LANDING AND ELECTRICAL POWER BURNED RIVETS OFF, SEVERAL HOLES IN FUSELAGE, GROUND STRAPS FROM HINGE POINTS AND ALL METAL SEALING TAPE ON AIRPLANE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.