What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On June 23, 2010 aircraft departed vaughn ranch airport for a maintenance operational check flight. The pilot stated that he had departed to the south and flew down the valley before turning left to fly over the air strip. As the pilot made a low pass south to north over the runway, the aircraft lost power just as he crossed the north end of the runway. The pilot stated that he did not have sufficient altitude to successfully complete a 180 degree turn to land on the runway without stalling the aircraft. The pilot maneuvered for a power-off glide to an open field in the northeast quadrant of the intersection of mullenex road and Olalla road. The right wing struck a tree during his emergency desent, causing the nose to pitch down. The aircraft impacted on its nose and spun 180 degrees, coming to rest in an easterly direction. The pilot estimated the duration of the flight to be one to two minutes before the engine quit.
As the FAA filed it
ON JUNE 23, 2010 AIRCRAFT DEPARTED VAUGHN RANCH AIRPORT FOR A MAINTENANCE OPERATIONAL CHECK FLIGHT. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE HAD DEPARTED TO THE SOUTH AND FLEW DOWN THE VALLEY BEFORE TURNING LEFT TO FLY OVER THE AIR STRIP. AS THE PILOT MADE A LOW PASS SOUTH TO NORTH OVER THE RUNWAY, THE AIRCRAFT LOST POWER JUST AS HE CROSSED THE NORTH END OF THE RUNWAY. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE DID NOT HAVE SUFFICIENT ALTITUDE TO SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETE A 180 DEGREE TURN TO LAND ON THE RUNWAY WITHOUT STALLING THE AIRCRAFT. THE PILOT MANEUVERED FOR A POWER-OFF GLIDE TO AN OPEN FIELD IN THE NORTHEAST QUADRANT OF THE INTERSECTION OF MULLENEX ROAD AND OLALLA ROAD. THE RIGHT WING STRUCK A TREE DURING HIS EMERGENCY DESENT, CAUSING THE NOSE TO PITCH DOWN. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED ON ITS NOSE AND SPUN 180 DEGREES, COMING TO REST IN AN EASTERLY DIRECTION. THE PILOT ESTIMATED THE DURATION OF THE FLIGHT TO BE ONE TO TWO MINUTES BEFORE THE ENGINE 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.