What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) N5408A departed the provo, UT airport runway 13 at approximately 1105 MDT and climbed southwest of the airport to approximately 1,500 feet MSL to gain altitude before flying through a mountain pass to the east of the airport. The engine began to run rough and the low charge light for the alternator came on. The pilot cycled the master switch to no effect. The engine then lost power. The pilot cycled the magnetos, checked the fuel selector, confirmed the mixture was full rich. None of this helped the engine to recover power. The pilot elected to make an off airport landing in a field. He estimated that the engine was developing between 10-20 percent power but said it sounded like it was bogging down and vibrating. He elected to land gear up as he thought the field might be soft. On short final the pilot noticed there was a large set of power lines directly in front of him. He flew under the power lines and landed 18 feet beyond them. The aircraft slid on its belly approximately 679 feet. During the slide the left horizontal stabilizer struck a metal post tearing off the outer 8 inches and twisting the tail section. Initial investigation did not reveal a cause for the power loss, but did show the aircraft was full of the correct kind of fuel (100LL) and showed no signs of contamination. The aircraft has been recovered to greely, CO. The NTSB will be conducting an evaluation of the engine to determine why it lost power.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) N5408A DEPARTED THE PROVO, UT AIRPORT RUNWAY 13 AT APPROXIMATELY 1105 MDT AND CLIMBED SOUTHWEST OF THE AIRPORT TO APPROXIMATELY 1,500 FEET MSL TO GAIN ALTITUDE BEFORE FLYING THROUGH A MOUNTAIN PASS TO THE EAST OF THE AIRPORT. THE ENGINE BEGAN TO RUN ROUGH AND THE LOW CHARGE LIGHT FOR THE ALTERNATOR CAME ON. THE PILOT CYCLED THE MASTER SWITCH TO NO EFFECT. THE ENGINE THEN LOST POWER. THE PILOT CYCLED THE MAGNETOS, CHECKED THE FUEL SELECTOR, CONFIRMED THE MIXTURE WAS FULL RICH. NONE OF THIS HELPED THE ENGINE TO RECOVER POWER. THE PILOT ELECTED TO MAKE AN OFF AIRPORT LANDING IN A FIELD. HE ESTIMATED THAT THE ENGINE WAS DEVELOPING BETWEEN 10-20 PERCENT POWER BUT SAID IT SOUNDED LIKE IT WAS BOGGING DOWN AND VIBRATING. HE ELECTED TO LAND GEAR UP AS HE THOUGHT THE FIELD MIGHT BE SOFT. ON SHORT FINAL THE PILOT NOTICED THERE WAS A LARGE SET OF POWER LINES DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF HIM. HE FLEW UNDER THE POWER LINES AND LANDED 18 FEET BEYOND THEM. THE AIRCRAFT SLID ON ITS BELLY APPROXIMATELY 679 FEET. DURING THE SLIDE THE LEFT HORIZONTAL STABILIZER STRUCK A METAL POST TEARING OFF THE OUTER 8 INCHES AND TWISTING THE TAIL SECTION. INITIAL INVESTIGATION DID NOT REVEAL A CAUSE FOR THE POWER LOSS, BUT DID SHOW THE AIRCRAFT WAS FULL OF THE CORRECT KIND OF FUEL (100LL) AND SHOWED NO SIGNS OF CONTAMINATION. THE AIRCRAFT HAS BEEN RECOVERED TO GREELY, CO. THE NTSB WILL BE CONDUCTING AN EVALUATION OF THE ENGINE TO DETERMINE WHY IT LOST POWER.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.