What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Pilot was on final, landing to the west, with engine off, propeller feathered. On glidepath at 100 feet above touch down, he noticed the airspeed indicator low (20) he instinctively lowered the nose slightly and the airspeed jumped to 70 he now had 3/4 of runway remaining, but feared he might go off the end of the runway. He unfeathered the propeller and attempted to restart the motor. The motor did not restart, the propeller now windmilling, 500 feet (1/4 runway) remaining. There were people moving a glider off to the side near the west end of the runway and powerlines over the west end. The pilot turned toward the open field immediately north of the runway. The grass in the field was three and a half to four feet high. The pilot slightly misjudged the actual alititude due to the tall grass and hit hard. The plexiglass canopy shattered, the airframe buckled in several places, but the pilot was unhurt. The airspeed indicator was erratic.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) PILOT WAS ON FINAL, LANDING TO THE WEST, WITH ENGINE OFF, PROPELLER FEATHERED. ON GLIDEPATH AT 100 FEET ABOVE TOUCH DOWN, HE NOTICED THE AIRSPEED INDICATOR LOW (20) HE INSTINCTIVELY LOWERED THE NOSE SLIGHTLY AND THE AIRSPEED JUMPED TO 70 HE NOW HAD 3/4 OF RUNWAY REMAINING, BUT FEARED HE MIGHT GO OFF THE END OF THE RUNWAY. HE UNFEATHERED THE PROPELLER AND ATTEMPTED TO RESTART THE MOTOR. THE MOTOR DID NOT RESTART, THE PROPELLER NOW WINDMILLING, 500 FEET (1/4 RUNWAY) REMAINING. THERE WERE PEOPLE MOVING A GLIDER OFF TO THE SIDE NEAR THE WEST END OF THE RUNWAY AND POWERLINES OVER THE WEST END. THE PILOT TURNED TOWARD THE OPEN FIELD IMMEDIATELY NORTH OF THE RUNWAY. THE GRASS IN THE FIELD WAS THREE AND A HALF TO FOUR FEET HIGH. THE PILOT SLIGHTLY MISJUDGED THE ACTUAL ALITITUDE DUE TO THE TALL GRASS AND HIT HARD. THE PLEXIGLASS CANOPY SHATTERED, THE AIRFRAME BUCKLED IN SEVERAL PLACES, BUT THE PILOT WAS UNHURT. THE AIRSPEED INDICATOR WAS ERRATIC.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.