What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The aircraft departed gillespie field (see) in el cajon, CA, and flew north enroute to french valley airport (F70) in temecula, CA when it experienced a loss of power. Witnesses said that the propeller was turning as the aircraft descended, but seemed to be at a low power setting. Witnesses said that the engine seemed to be running smoothly as it passed over a radio controlled aircraft landing field nearby with the flaps and landing gear up. A man driving northbound on the freeway stated that the engine was sputtering when the aircraft went over his truck. The aircraft touched down on the right side of the FAR right northbound lane of the freeway with the landing gear up and skidded approximately 272 feet, then became airborne for another 308 feet before impacting the rear of a vehicle stopped on the shoulder of the road. Marks were found in the road surface indicating that the propeller was turning. The aircraft made a gear-up landing along the shoulder of the north bound lane of interstate 15 just north of highway 76 near Fallbrook, CA and struck the rear of a car that was parked on the shoulder of the road. One occupant of the car was killed and three others were injured. The pilot and one passenger of the aircraft were also injured. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
As the FAA filed it
THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED GILLESPIE FIELD (SEE) IN EL CAJON, CA, AND FLEW NORTH ENROUTE TO FRENCH VALLEY AIRPORT (F70) IN TEMECULA, CA WHEN IT EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF POWER. WITNESSES SAID THAT THE PROPELLER WAS TURNING AS THE AIRCRAFT DESCENDED, BUT SEEMED TO BE AT A LOW POWER SETTING. WITNESSES SAID THAT THE ENGINE SEEMED TO BE RUNNING SMOOTHLY AS IT PASSED OVER A RADIO CONTROLLED AIRCRAFT LANDING FIELD NEARBY WITH THE FLAPS AND LANDING GEAR UP. A MAN DRIVING NORTHBOUND ON THE FREEWAY STATED THAT THE ENGINE WAS SPUTTERING WHEN THE AIRCRAFT WENT OVER HIS TRUCK. THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE FAR RIGHT NORTHBOUND LANE OF THE FREEWAY WITH THE LANDING GEAR UP AND SKIDDED APPROXIMATELY 272 FEET, THEN BECAME AIRBORNE FOR ANOTHER 308 FEET BEFORE IMPACTING THE REAR OF A VEHICLE STOPPED ON THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD. MARKS WERE FOUND IN THE ROAD SURFACE INDICATING THAT THE PROPELLER WAS TURNING. THE AIRCRAFT MADE A GEAR-UP LANDING ALONG THE SHOULDER OF THE NORTH BOUND LANE OF INTERSTATE 15 JUST NORTH OF HIGHWAY 76 NEAR FALLBROOK, CA AND STRUCK THE REAR OF A CAR THAT WAS PARKED ON THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD. ONE OCCUPANT OF THE CAR WAS KILLED AND THREE OTHERS WERE INJURED. THE PILOT AND ONE PASSENGER OF THE AIRCRAFT WERE ALSO INJURED. 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.