What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On October 31, 2008, at 1130 MDT, a Piper cherokee lance PA-32R, N43977, registered to air kraft spraying inc, crash landed in a swampy area 1/2 mile south of the Columbus, MT airport, while on a leisure flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time, and no flight plan was filed. The aircraft sustained minor damage. The pilot was the only person onboard the aircraft and was not injured. The flight originated at timber lake, south dakota, on October 31, 2008, at 0900 MDT. The aircraft was cruising at approximately 6500 feet when the engine began running rough. The pilot elected to land at Columbus, MT 6S3. On short final the pilot could not postively identify that the landing gear was retracted because the sun was shining on the gear extended lights through the side window, effectively washing them out. The pilot attempted a go-around but, the engine stopped running and forced the pilot to land the aircraft. The aircraft landed approximately 1/2 mile past the end of the runway in a swampy area. The primary casual factor as the fuel injector plug that was missing from the fuel servo assembly causing the engine to run lean and lose power.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON OCTOBER 31, 2008, AT 1130 MDT, A PIPER CHEROKEE LANCE PA-32R, N43977, REGISTERED TO AIR KRAFT SPRAYING INC, CRASH LANDED IN A SWAMPY AREA 1/2 MILE SOUTH OF THE COLUMBUS, MT AIRPORT, WHILE ON A LEISURE FLIGHT. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED MINOR DAMAGE. THE PILOT WAS THE ONLY PERSON ONBOARD THE AIRCRAFT AND WAS NOT INJURED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT TIMBER LAKE, SOUTH DAKOTA, ON OCTOBER 31, 2008, AT 0900 MDT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS CRUISING AT APPROXIMATELY 6500 FEET WHEN THE ENGINE BEGAN RUNNING ROUGH. THE PILOT ELECTED TO LAND AT COLUMBUS, MT 6S3. ON SHORT FINAL THE PILOT COULD NOT POSTIVELY IDENTIFY THAT THE LANDING GEAR WAS RETRACTED BECAUSE THE SUN WAS SHINING ON THE GEAR EXTENDED LIGHTS THROUGH THE SIDE WINDOW, EFFECTIVELY WASHING THEM OUT. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED A GO-AROUND BUT, THE ENGINE STOPPED RUNNING AND FORCED THE PILOT TO LAND THE AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED APPROXIMATELY 1/2 MILE PAST THE END OF THE RUNWAY IN A SWAMPY AREA. THE PRIMARY CASUAL FACTOR AS THE FUEL INJECTOR PLUG THAT WAS MISSING FROM THE FUEL SERVO ASSEMBLY CAUSING THE ENGINE TO RUN LEAN AND LOSE POWER.
Other reports on N43977 · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.