What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) The pilot stated that while in cruise flight with light to moderate turbulence he was switching radio frequencies and believes he inadvertantly activated the electrically operated speed brake. He stated that he did not recognize the speed brake deployment. As the flight continued he noticed a rise in the engine temperatures and the engine began to run rough. The pilot decided to make a precautionary landing on Osceola, Missouri (3MO). During approach, the pilot mistook the paved east-west taxiway for the sod north-south runway. The aircraft touched down with approximately 900 feet remaining before the end of the taxiway. The pilot was unable to stop and the aircraft contacted a roadside ditch and telephone pole before crossing the road and striking a ditch and pole on the other side. The aircraft came to rest upside down with the pilot trapped inside. On-scene investigation did not reveal and mechanical reason for the engine to run poorly or quit.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) THE PILOT STATED THAT WHILE IN CRUISE FLIGHT WITH LIGHT TO MODERATE TURBULENCE HE WAS SWITCHING RADIO FREQUENCIES AND BELIEVES HE INADVERTANTLY ACTIVATED THE ELECTRICALLY OPERATED SPEED BRAKE. HE STATED THAT HE DID NOT RECOGNIZE THE SPEED BRAKE DEPLOYMENT. AS THE FLIGHT CONTINUED HE NOTICED A RISE IN THE ENGINE TEMPERATURES AND THE ENGINE BEGAN TO RUN ROUGH. THE PILOT DECIDED TO MAKE A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING ON OSCEOLA, MISSOURI (3MO). DURING APPROACH, THE PILOT MISTOOK THE PAVED EAST-WEST TAXIWAY FOR THE SOD NORTH-SOUTH RUNWAY. THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN WITH APPROXIMATELY 900 FEET REMAINING BEFORE THE END OF THE TAXIWAY. THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO STOP AND THE AIRCRAFT CONTACTED A ROADSIDE DITCH AND TELEPHONE POLE BEFORE CROSSING THE ROAD AND STRIKING A DITCH AND POLE ON THE OTHER SIDE. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST UPSIDE DOWN WITH THE PILOT TRAPPED INSIDE. ON-SCENE INVESTIGATION DID NOT REVEAL AND MECHANICAL REASON FOR THE ENGINE TO RUN POORLY OR QUIT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.