What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On June 29, 2006, at approximately 1154 CDT, N70746, a Piper PA-32-300, departed from Midland airpark (mdd) in Midland, Texas, enroute to baytown, Texas, on a VFR flight. Approximately 14 minutes after take-off, the pilot reported the engine began to run rough and elected to return to Midland. The pilot decided to land the aircraft on highway 307 west, aka cloverdale road, located southeast of downtown Midland. The pilot landed toward the west on highway 307, and the aircraft clipped a powerline wire with the vertical stabilizer and rudder, then hit a mailbox with the left wingtip. The rudder sustained substantial damage. The left wingtip ruptured after contact with the mailbox and spilled fuel. The pilot and passenger were not injured and there were no injuries to persons on the ground.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON JUNE 29, 2006, AT APPROXIMATELY 1154 CDT, N70746, A PIPER PA-32-300, DEPARTED FROM MIDLAND AIRPARK (MDD) IN MIDLAND, TEXAS, ENROUTE TO BAYTOWN, TEXAS, ON A VFR FLIGHT. APPROXIMATELY 14 MINUTES AFTER TAKE-OFF, THE PILOT REPORTED THE ENGINE BEGAN TO RUN ROUGH AND ELECTED TO RETURN TO MIDLAND. THE PILOT DECIDED TO LAND THE AIRCRAFT ON HIGHWAY 307 WEST, AKA CLOVERDALE ROAD, LOCATED SOUTHEAST OF DOWNTOWN MIDLAND. THE PILOT LANDED TOWARD THE WEST ON HIGHWAY 307, AND THE AIRCRAFT CLIPPED A POWERLINE WIRE WITH THE VERTICAL STABILIZER AND RUDDER, THEN HIT A MAILBOX WITH THE LEFT WINGTIP. THE RUDDER SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE LEFT WINGTIP RUPTURED AFTER CONTACT WITH THE MAILBOX AND SPILLED FUEL. THE PILOT AND PASSENGER WERE NOT INJURED AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES TO PERSONS ON THE GROUND.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.