What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On January 26, 2007, N215KP, a jihlavan/KP5, operating as a light sport aircraft, force landed in a field under unknown circumstances. After executing the forced landing, based upon the tracks left in the soil by the landing gear, the aircraft traveled approx. 175 yards before ending its travel into a large ravine. The tracks left by the landing gear were clearly evident in the soil of the field, and they were straight, and showed no evidence of a change in consistency (depth and direction of travel) until just before the drop into the ravine that the aircraft came to its final resting point in. The aircraft came to rest in an approx. 20 feet deep ravine, crashing front-end into the other side of the ravine's wall. It appears that the damage to the aircraft was caused by the consequences of the unexpected descent into the field's ravine, and not the forced landing itself. The pilot stated that he had engine problems, and lost engine power. However, there was no evidence of mechanical failure or fuel deprivation. No mechanical cause for the reported engine problem has been found. The pilot's competency is in question.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON JANUARY 26, 2007, N215KP, A JIHLAVAN/KP5, OPERATING AS A LIGHT SPORT AIRCRAFT, FORCE LANDED IN A FIELD UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES. AFTER EXECUTING THE FORCED LANDING, BASED UPON THE TRACKS LEFT IN THE SOIL BY THE LANDING GEAR, THE AIRCRAFT TRAVELED APPROX. 175 YARDS BEFORE ENDING ITS TRAVEL INTO A LARGE RAVINE. THE TRACKS LEFT BY THE LANDING GEAR WERE CLEARLY EVIDENT IN THE SOIL OF THE FIELD, AND THEY WERE STRAIGHT, AND SHOWED NO EVIDENCE OF A CHANGE IN CONSISTENCY (DEPTH AND DIRECTION OF TRAVEL) UNTIL JUST BEFORE THE DROP INTO THE RAVINE THAT THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO ITS FINAL RESTING POINT IN. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST IN AN APPROX. 20 FEET DEEP RAVINE, CRASHING FRONT-END INTO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE RAVINE'S WALL. IT APPEARS THAT THE DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT WAS CAUSED BY THE CONSEQUENCES OF THE UNEXPECTED DESCENT INTO THE FIELD'S RAVINE, AND NOT THE FORCED LANDING ITSELF. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE HAD ENGINE PROBLEMS, AND LOST ENGINE POWER. HOWEVER, THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF MECHANICAL FAILURE OR FUEL DEPRIVATION. NO MECHANICAL CAUSE FOR THE REPORTED ENGINE PROBLEM HAS BEEN FOUND. THE PILOT'S COMPETENCY IS IN QUESTION.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.