What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Pilot and two passengers departed john wayne-orange county airport, santa ana, CA at approximately 5:15 pm PST, on a day, VFR flight to montgomery field, san diego, CA. Flight proceded southbound, along pacific ocean coastline, at an altitude of 3500 ft, utilizing VFR flight following services of socal TRACON. At approximately 5:45 pm, approaching Oceanside, CA and adjacent to the camp pendleton marine corps base, the pilot describes feeling "two small jolts and a loss of power." Descending and unable to restore power, pilot declared emergency with socal TRACON, established best glide speed and prepared for a forced landing on a large helipad at camp pendleton. Following a hard landing and loss of nose gear, aircraft continued forward, descending into and striking FAR side of a ditch. Impact forces severed the engine at the firewall and separated the entire tail section at the aft cabin attach point. Abnormal wet oil accumulation/streaking was evident along fuselage, struts, tail and horizontal stabilizers. Subsequent engine inspection revealed the number four cylinder fractured and separated where the head joins the barrel.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) PILOT AND TWO PASSENGERS DEPARTED JOHN WAYNE-ORANGE COUNTY AIRPORT, SANTA ANA, CA AT APPROXIMATELY 5:15 PM PST, ON A DAY, VFR FLIGHT TO MONTGOMERY FIELD, SAN DIEGO, CA. FLIGHT PROCEDED SOUTHBOUND, ALONG PACIFIC OCEAN COASTLINE, AT AN ALTITUDE OF 3500 FT, UTILIZING VFR FLIGHT FOLLOWING SERVICES OF SOCAL TRACON. AT APPROXIMATELY 5:45 PM, APPROACHING OCEANSIDE, CA AND ADJACENT TO THE CAMP PENDLETON MARINE CORPS BASE, THE PILOT DESCRIBES FEELING "TWO SMALL JOLTS AND A LOSS OF POWER." DESCENDING AND UNABLE TO RESTORE POWER, PILOT DECLARED EMERGENCY WITH SOCAL TRACON, ESTABLISHED BEST GLIDE SPEED AND PREPARED FOR A FORCED LANDING ON A LARGE HELIPAD AT CAMP PENDLETON. FOLLOWING A HARD LANDING AND LOSS OF NOSE GEAR, AIRCRAFT CONTINUED FORWARD, DESCENDING INTO AND STRIKING FAR SIDE OF A DITCH. IMPACT FORCES SEVERED THE ENGINE AT THE FIREWALL AND SEPARATED THE ENTIRE TAIL SECTION AT THE AFT CABIN ATTACH POINT. ABNORMAL WET OIL ACCUMULATION/STREAKING WAS EVIDENT ALONG FUSELAGE, STRUTS, TAIL AND HORIZONTAL STABILIZERS. SUBSEQUENT ENGINE INSPECTION REVEALED THE NUMBER FOUR CYLINDER FRACTURED AND SEPARATED WHERE THE HEAD JOINS THE BARREL.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.