What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Aircraft was found by the civil air patrol parked on the side of the airport at Sonoma skypark Sonoma, CA propped up on a bucket and covered with a tarp. An ELT signal had been going off for five hours. The nose gear appeared to have collapsed and the propeller was damaged. Aircraft was moved by persons unknown out of a ditch where the gear collapsed without NTSB approval. Upon landing the pilot lost control and locked up the brakes and ran off the left side of the runway into the grass. After about 100 yards the aircraft hit a ditch and collapsed the nose landing gear before hitting a second ditch where the aircraft came to rest.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) AIRCRAFT WAS FOUND BY THE CIVIL AIR PATROL PARKED ON THE SIDE OF THE AIRPORT AT SONOMA SKYPARK SONOMA, CA PROPPED UP ON A BUCKET AND COVERED WITH A TARP. AN ELT SIGNAL HAD BEEN GOING OFF FOR FIVE HOURS. THE NOSE GEAR APPEARED TO HAVE COLLAPSED AND THE PROPELLER WAS DAMAGED. AIRCRAFT WAS MOVED BY PERSONS UNKNOWN OUT OF A DITCH WHERE THE GEAR COLLAPSED WITHOUT NTSB APPROVAL. UPON LANDING THE PILOT LOST CONTROL AND LOCKED UP THE BRAKES AND RAN OFF THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY INTO THE GRASS. AFTER ABOUT 100 YARDS THE AIRCRAFT HIT A DITCH AND COLLAPSED THE NOSE LANDING GEAR BEFORE HITTING A SECOND DITCH WHERE THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.