What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Pilot and one passenger departed vgt at approximately 0715 hours for L61 (shoshone). Aircraft had full fuel load. Landed safely at shoshone (L61) after approximate 35 minute flight. Pilot and one passenger departed shoshone, L61, for return flight to north las vegas, vgt, at approximately 0930. Pilot was at an altitude of approximatley 8100MSL, with terrain underneath at 4000 to 4500MSL. Pilot heard 3 loud pops and the engine RPM went from 2300 RPM down to 1200 RPM. Pilot performed restart procedure with no positive result. Pilot trimmed the airplane for best glide and looked for best place to land in the desert beneath him. Pilot slowed the plane till the airspeed was about 35 KTS and could not keep the aircraft off the ground. Pilot touched down on the main landing gear (MLG) for about 20 feet and then the nose landing gear (NLG). Pilot says when the nose gear touched down it sank in the desert and collapsed under the fuselage. The nose gear dug into the desert and the plane flipped over on its back. From initial touchdown point of the main gear, there was 40 feet to where the nose of the plane was located.
As the FAA filed it
PILOT AND ONE PASSENGER DEPARTED VGT AT APPROXIMATELY 0715 HOURS FOR L61 (SHOSHONE). AIRCRAFT HAD FULL FUEL LOAD. LANDED SAFELY AT SHOSHONE (L61) AFTER APPROXIMATE 35 MINUTE FLIGHT. PILOT AND ONE PASSENGER DEPARTED SHOSHONE, L61, FOR RETURN FLIGHT TO NORTH LAS VEGAS, VGT, AT APPROXIMATELY 0930. PILOT WAS AT AN ALTITUDE OF APPROXIMATLEY 8100MSL, WITH TERRAIN UNDERNEATH AT 4000 TO 4500MSL. PILOT HEARD 3 LOUD POPS AND THE ENGINE RPM WENT FROM 2300 RPM DOWN TO 1200 RPM. PILOT PERFORMED RESTART PROCEDURE WITH NO POSITIVE RESULT. PILOT TRIMMED THE AIRPLANE FOR BEST GLIDE AND LOOKED FOR BEST PLACE TO LAND IN THE DESERT BENEATH HIM. PILOT SLOWED THE PLANE TILL THE AIRSPEED WAS ABOUT 35 KTS AND COULD NOT KEEP THE AIRCRAFT OFF THE GROUND. PILOT TOUCHED DOWN ON THE MAIN LANDING GEAR (MLG) FOR ABOUT 20 FEET AND THEN THE NOSE LANDING GEAR (NLG). PILOT SAYS WHEN THE NOSE GEAR TOUCHED DOWN IT SANK IN THE DESERT AND COLLAPSED UNDER THE FUSELAGE. THE NOSE GEAR DUG INTO THE DESERT AND THE PLANE FLIPPED OVER ON ITS BACK. FROM INITIAL TOUCHDOWN POINT OF THE MAIN GEAR, THERE WAS 40 FEET TO WHERE THE NOSE OF THE PLANE WAS LOCATED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.