What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On may 28, 2004, at 1330 pacific daylight time, an experimental, amateur-built wilson avid airplane, N55368, impacted grapevines during a forced landing following a loss of engine power near Paso Robles, California. The second leg of a cross-country flight was originating from Paso Robles airport (prb) at the time of the accident and was destined for oceano, California. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident and a flight plan had not been filed. Approximately 3 to 4 minutes after takeoff, from prb the engine began overheating. The pilot said the water temperature gauge for the engine began to rise rapidly over the red line. He attempted to cool the engine by lowering the angle of attack, activating the water blower, and turning into the wind, all to no avail. The engine lost total power and the pilot turned back toward the departure airport. The pilot determined they would not make it to the airport and elected to land in a vineyard. During the landing flare, the pilot slowed the airplane, which eventually became snagged by the grapevines, and came to rest inverted.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON MAY 28, 2004, AT 1330 PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, AN EXPERIMENTAL, AMATEUR-BUILT WILSON AVID AIRPLANE, N55368, IMPACTED GRAPEVINES DURING A FORCED LANDING FOLLOWING A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER NEAR PASO ROBLES, CALIFORNIA. THE SECOND LEG OF A CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT WAS ORIGINATING FROM PASO ROBLES AIRPORT (PRB) AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT AND WAS DESTINED FOR OCEANO, CALIFORNIA. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT AND A FLIGHT PLAN HAD NOT BEEN FILED. APPROXIMATELY 3 TO 4 MINUTES AFTER TAKEOFF, FROM PRB THE ENGINE BEGAN OVERHEATING. THE PILOT SAID THE WATER TEMPERATURE GAUGE FOR THE ENGINE BEGAN TO RISE RAPIDLY OVER THE RED LINE. HE ATTEMPTED TO COOL THE ENGINE BY LOWERING THE ANGLE OF ATTACK, ACTIVATING THE WATER BLOWER, AND TURNING INTO THE WIND, ALL TO NO AVAIL. THE ENGINE LOST TOTAL POWER AND THE PILOT TURNED BACK TOWARD THE DEPARTURE AIRPORT. THE PILOT DETERMINED THEY WOULD NOT MAKE IT TO THE AIRPORT AND ELECTED TO LAND IN A VINEYARD. DURING THE LANDING FLARE, THE PILOT SLOWED THE AIRPLANE, WHICH EVENTUALLY BECAME SNAGGED BY THE GRAPEVINES, AND CAME TO REST INVERTED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.