What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
According to the pilots statement, he made a decending circle over a valley adjacent to a ridge to check what the wind was doing. He circled back around to descend into the valley and as he crossed the ridge the aircraft abruptly lost altitude. He said that he attemped to arrest the loss of altitude when one wheel touched the ground, and slowed the aircraft and then forced it over on its back. The aircraft was lifted out by a helicopter. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
As the FAA filed it
ACCORDING TO THE PILOTS STATEMENT, HE MADE A DECENDING CIRCLE OVER A VALLEY ADJACENT TO A RIDGE TO CHECK WHAT THE WIND WAS DOING. HE CIRCLED BACK AROUND TO DESCEND INTO THE VALLEY AND AS HE CROSSED THE RIDGE THE AIRCRAFT ABRUPTLY LOST ALTITUDE. HE SAID THAT HE ATTEMPED TO ARREST THE LOSS OF ALTITUDE WHEN ONE WHEEL TOUCHED THE GROUND, AND SLOWED THE AIRCRAFT AND THEN FORCED IT OVER ON ITS BACK. THE AIRCRAFT WAS LIFTED OUT BY A HELICOPTER. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.