What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On June 18, 2016, the pilot and co-pilot were on a cross country flight from socorro, NM (onm) to Prescott, AZ. Upon departure of socorro, the fuel selector was placed on the left tank and when reaching cruise altitude, the pilot switched to the right tank, as it was the fullest tank, and continued operating for approximately 45 minutes.
At approximately a distance of 3.5 miles, the pilot reduced power to begin a descent of 5000 feet vertical for landing at Prescott. The pilot stated that the engine began to run rough and was not developing power.
At this time the pilot transferred controls to the co-pilot and began to perform landing preparations bginning with ?bcgumps?. During the decent, the pilot continued to perform various emergency and trouble shooting efforts; however a decision was made to keep the fuel selector on the right tank as it was the fullest tank.
The co-pilot was on the controls when the aircraft landed approximately one half mile short of runway 21 on flat open ground. The aircraft touched down on rocky soil which resulted in the tearing off of all three landing gear.
After one hundred feet, the aircraft slid to a stop, remaining upright, and turning 90 degrees to the left. The pilot and co-pilot exited the aircraft without injury.
Visual inspection of the aircraft showed an impact of the left wing tip with aparent twisting and buckling of the wing skins and pulled rivets at the main spar area. The flaps showed major damage from impact as well torn sheet metal and damaged attachment points.
The right side main fuselage aft of the wing showed compression buckeling and twisting of the airframe. There was torn and wrinkled sheetmetal along the bottom of the fuselage. The propeller had both blades bent backward.
As the FAA filed it
ON JUNE 18, 2016, THE PILOT AND CO-PILOT WERE ON A CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT FROM SOCORRO, NM (ONM) TO PRESCOTT, AZ. UPON DEPARTURE OF SOCORRO, THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS PLACED ON THE LEFT TANK AND WHEN REACHING CRUISE ALTITUDE, THE PILOT SWITCHED TO THE RIGHT TANK, AS IT WAS THE FULLEST TANK, AND CONTINUED OPERATING FOR APPROXIMATELY 45 MINUTES.
AT APPROXIMATELY A DISTANCE OF 3.5 MILES, THE PILOT REDUCED POWER TO BEGIN A DESCENT OF 5000 FEET VERTICAL FOR LANDING AT PRESCOTT. THE PILOT STATED THAT THE ENGINE BEGAN TO RUN ROUGH AND WAS NOT DEVELOPING POWER.
AT THIS TIME THE PILOT TRANSFERRED CONTROLS TO THE CO-PILOT AND BEGAN TO PERFORM LANDING PREPARATIONS BGINNING WITH ?BCGUMPS?. DURING THE DECENT, THE PILOT CONTINUED TO PERFORM VARIOUS EMERGENCY AND TROUBLE SHOOTING EFFORTS; HOWEVER A DECISION WAS MADE TO KEEP THE FUEL SELECTOR ON THE RIGHT TANK AS IT WAS THE FULLEST TANK.
THE CO-PILOT WAS ON THE CONTROLS WHEN THE AIRCRAFT LANDED APPROXIMATELY ONE HALF MILE SHORT OF RUNWAY 21 ON FLAT OPEN GROUND. THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN ON ROCKY SOIL WHICH RESULTED IN THE TEARING OFF OF ALL THREE LANDING GEAR.
AFTER ONE HUNDRED FEET, THE AIRCRAFT SLID TO A STOP, REMAINING UPRIGHT, AND TURNING 90 DEGREES TO THE LEFT. THE PILOT AND CO-PILOT EXITED THE AIRCRAFT WITHOUT INJURY.
VISUAL INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT SHOWED AN IMPACT OF THE LEFT WING TIP WITH APARENT TWISTING AND BUCKLING OF THE WING SKINS AND PULLED RIVETS AT THE MAIN SPAR AREA. THE FLAPS SHOWED MAJOR DAMAGE FROM IMPACT AS WELL TORN SHEET METAL AND DAMAGED ATTACHMENT POINTS.
THE RIGHT SIDE MAIN FUSELAGE AFT OF THE WING SHOWED COMPRESSION BUCKELING AND TWISTING OF THE AIRFRAME. THERE WAS TORN AND WRINKLED SHEETMETAL ALONG THE BOTTOM OF THE FUSELAGE. THE PROPELLER HAD BOTH BLADES BENT BACKWARD.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.