What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The pilot was unable to start the aircraft engine using the eletric starter and attempted to hand start the engine using the propeller. After several attempts the engine satrted. The aircraft was parked along the left center section of the north end of the runway and was facing the east side of the runway. After the engine started, the aircraft went over a small dirt berm on the east side of the runway and made a gradual left turn while going through the dessert terrain (loose dirt, rocks and bushes) before going over a cliff at the extreme north end of the runway. The distance the aircraft traveled before going over the cliff was approximately a total of 240 feet. The aircraft came to rest approximately 100 feet below the edge cliff on a steep rocky incline of approximately 15 to 20 degrees.
As the FAA filed it
THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO START THE AIRCRAFT ENGINE USING THE ELETRIC STARTER AND ATTEMPTED TO HAND START THE ENGINE USING THE PROPELLER. AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS THE ENGINE SATRTED. THE AIRCRAFT WAS PARKED ALONG THE LEFT CENTER SECTION OF THE NORTH END OF THE RUNWAY AND WAS FACING THE EAST SIDE OF THE RUNWAY. AFTER THE ENGINE STARTED, THE AIRCRAFT WENT OVER A SMALL DIRT BERM ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE RUNWAY AND MADE A GRADUAL LEFT TURN WHILE GOING THROUGH THE DESSERT TERRAIN (LOOSE DIRT, ROCKS AND BUSHES) BEFORE GOING OVER A CLIFF AT THE EXTREME NORTH END OF THE RUNWAY. THE DISTANCE THE AIRCRAFT TRAVELED BEFORE GOING OVER THE CLIFF WAS APPROXIMATELY A TOTAL OF 240 FEET. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST APPROXIMATELY 100 FEET BELOW THE EDGE CLIFF ON A STEEP ROCKY INCLINE OF APPROXIMATELY 15 TO 20 DEGREES.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N3751U · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.