What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Pilot stated that at approximately 0700 on 040811 he conducted the first of two engine runs, one at idle power for 20 minutes, the second at 1800-2400 RPM for approximately 5 minutes. Pilot shut down between the engine runs to search for leaks or other problems. After the second engine run, pilot taxied to the fuel island to fill up. Pilot subsequently taxied back to hangar took some extraneous items out of the cockpit, restarted the engine and called for taxi and takeoff VFR northwest. Pilot flew for approximately 15 - 20 minutes VFR out to 24NM northwest of north las vegas airport, returned to north las vegas airport (vgt) and landed. Pilot taxied to the fuel island again topped off. Pilot left power on while refueling. When pilot tried to restart pilot found dead battery and called for "jump start". After jump start pilot taxied back to hangar, returned his rental car, and called for taxi VFR northeast flight following with nellis approach. Takeoff was approximately 1110 hours 040811. Pilot made left turn to northeast and contacted nellis, they gave him a heading of 090 to 5500 feet. Due to some rain showers ahead and haze pilot started a descent down to approximately 3500 feet. At approximately 4000 feet pilot noticed the engine slowly winding back. Pilot informed la center that he was going to try and land the aircraft at an airstrip he could see to the south. Once pointed at the strip, pilot attempted several things to diagnose the problem. Pilot tried turning boost pump on with no change, tried cycling the throttle and propeller controls, no change, pilot switched on back up battery for the ignition system, no change. At that point pilot could see that he wasn't going to make the airstrip so he looked for a flatter area closer. Initially pilot thought about performing an emergency landing onto the boat ramp at Temple Bar resort, but wasn't sure because of the curve and the terrain on the west side. Pilot then decided to angle the aircraft to an emergency landing at an angle into the dirt area to the southeast of the boat ramp. Pilot flew through a wire fence, with the right wing "grabbing" a phone cable. Landing gear struck both a gas pipeline and a concrete abutment.
As the FAA filed it
PILOT STATED THAT AT APPROXIMATELY 0700 ON 040811 HE CONDUCTED THE FIRST OF TWO ENGINE RUNS, ONE AT IDLE POWER FOR 20 MINUTES, THE SECOND AT 1800-2400 RPM FOR APPROXIMATELY 5 MINUTES. PILOT SHUT DOWN BETWEEN THE ENGINE RUNS TO SEARCH FOR LEAKS OR OTHER PROBLEMS. AFTER THE SECOND ENGINE RUN, PILOT TAXIED TO THE FUEL ISLAND TO FILL UP. PILOT SUBSEQUENTLY TAXIED BACK TO HANGAR TOOK SOME EXTRANEOUS ITEMS OUT OF THE COCKPIT, RESTARTED THE ENGINE AND CALLED FOR TAXI AND TAKEOFF VFR NORTHWEST. PILOT FLEW FOR APPROXIMATELY 15 - 20 MINUTES VFR OUT TO 24NM NORTHWEST OF NORTH LAS VEGAS AIRPORT, RETURNED TO NORTH LAS VEGAS AIRPORT (VGT) AND LANDED. PILOT TAXIED TO THE FUEL ISLAND AGAIN TOPPED OFF. PILOT LEFT POWER ON WHILE REFUELING. WHEN PILOT TRIED TO RESTART PILOT FOUND DEAD BATTERY AND CALLED FOR "JUMP START". AFTER JUMP START PILOT TAXIED BACK TO HANGAR, RETURNED HIS RENTAL CAR, AND CALLED FOR TAXI VFR NORTHEAST FLIGHT FOLLOWING WITH NELLIS APPROACH. TAKEOFF WAS APPROXIMATELY 1110 HOURS 040811. PILOT MADE LEFT TURN TO NORTHEAST AND CONTACTED NELLIS, THEY GAVE HIM A HEADING OF 090 TO 5500 FEET. DUE TO SOME RAIN SHOWERS AHEAD AND HAZE PILOT STARTED A DESCENT DOWN TO APPROXIMATELY 3500 FEET. AT APPROXIMATELY 4000 FEET PILOT NOTICED THE ENGINE SLOWLY WINDING BACK. PILOT INFORMED LA CENTER THAT HE WAS GOING TO TRY AND LAND THE AIRCRAFT AT AN AIRSTRIP HE COULD SEE TO THE SOUTH. ONCE POINTED AT THE STRIP, PILOT ATTEMPTED SEVERAL THINGS TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. PILOT TRIED TURNING BOOST PUMP ON WITH NO CHANGE, TRIED CYCLING THE THROTTLE AND PROPELLER CONTROLS, NO CHANGE, PILOT SWITCHED ON BACK UP BATTERY FOR THE IGNITION SYSTEM, NO CHANGE. AT THAT POINT PILOT COULD SEE THAT HE WASN'T GOING TO MAKE THE AIRSTRIP SO HE LOOKED FOR A FLATTER AREA CLOSER. INITIALLY PILOT THOUGHT ABOUT PERFORMING AN EMERGENCY LANDING ONTO THE BOAT RAMP AT TEMPLE BAR RESORT, BUT WASN'T SURE BECAUSE OF THE CURVE AND THE TERRAIN ON THE WEST SIDE. PILOT THEN DECIDED TO ANGLE THE AIRCRAFT TO AN EMERGENCY LANDING AT AN ANGLE INTO THE DIRT AREA TO THE SOUTHEAST OF THE BOAT RAMP. PILOT FLEW THROUGH A WIRE FENCE, WITH THE RIGHT WING "GRABBING" A PHONE CABLE. LANDING GEAR STRUCK BOTH A GAS PIPELINE AND A CONCRETE ABUTMENT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.