What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Aircraft departed ful at approximately 14:30 VFR planned to fat. At 10,500' in cruise at about 17 NM north of lhs VOR, pilot heard loud bang at which time he noticed loss of engine power and vacuum pressure. The propeller feathered. He declared an emergency and was trying to glide to wjf. Pilot could not make wjf so he aligned with a dirt road approximately 4 miles west of wjf. Just before touch down the aircraft struck a power wire running perpendicular with the flight path of the aircraft. The aircraft broke through the power wire but had lost most of it's forward speed and then descended onto the dirt road collapsing the right main and the nose landing gear. The propeller and front nose section of the engine gear box broke off and the aircraft struck a brick mail box and a chain link fence damaging both wings and the tail. The fuselage was mostly intact and the pilot received no injuries. Fuel was present at the accident site. All damage to the aircraft (except for what caused the engine to fail at cruise) was caused by this emergency landing.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) AIRCRAFT DEPARTED FUL AT APPROXIMATELY 14:30 VFR PLANNED TO FAT. AT 10,500' IN CRUISE AT ABOUT 17 NM NORTH OF LHS VOR, PILOT HEARD LOUD BANG AT WHICH TIME HE NOTICED LOSS OF ENGINE POWER AND VACUUM PRESSURE. THE PROPELLER FEATHERED. HE DECLARED AN EMERGENCY AND WAS TRYING TO GLIDE TO WJF. PILOT COULD NOT MAKE WJF SO HE ALIGNED WITH A DIRT ROAD APPROXIMATELY 4 MILES WEST OF WJF. JUST BEFORE TOUCH DOWN THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK A POWER WIRE RUNNING PERPENDICULAR WITH THE FLIGHT PATH OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT BROKE THROUGH THE POWER WIRE BUT HAD LOST MOST OF IT'S FORWARD SPEED AND THEN DESCENDED ONTO THE DIRT ROAD COLLAPSING THE RIGHT MAIN AND THE NOSE LANDING GEAR. THE PROPELLER AND FRONT NOSE SECTION OF THE ENGINE GEAR BOX BROKE OFF AND THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK A BRICK MAIL BOX AND A CHAIN LINK FENCE DAMAGING BOTH WINGS AND THE TAIL. THE FUSELAGE WAS MOSTLY INTACT AND THE PILOT RECEIVED NO INJURIES. FUEL WAS PRESENT AT THE ACCIDENT SITE. ALL DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT (EXCEPT FOR WHAT CAUSED THE ENGINE TO FAIL AT CRUISE) WAS CAUSED BY THIS EMERGENCY LANDING.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.