What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The 83 hour private pilot was conducting night currency flights at his local airport, kpyn, Piedmont, MO. He made two previous landings on runway 21 and departures on runway 03. The pilot sensed the aircraft was low on base for runway 21 while making the third approach and applied power. The aircraft engine did respond to the power application, but continued to descend. Realizing he would not make it back to the runway, he adjusted for an open area on the airport property. The aircraft was banked approximately 25 degrees when it entered small tree limbs prior to heavy contact with power wires with the left wing and landing gear 1572FT and 34.5 degrees from the runway. The aircraft yawed left, dropped on the right wing and landing gear onto the descending face of a roadway embankment 82 ft from the wire contact. The aircraft continued to roll to the right until coming to rest inverted below the roadway 38FT from the initial ground impact scar. The pilot released his seatbelt and shoulder harness and exited the aircraft with no injuries.
The left/main fuel tank which the pilot stated was selected at the time of the accident contained 3/4 of a tank of clear blue fuel, the right/aux fuel tank contained 1/4 of a tank of clear blue fuel. The gasilator was drained and produced a steady flow of clear blue fuel.
Control continuity was established to all flight and engine controls.
Engine compression was established to all four cylinders by rotating the propeller. The propeller blade tips were bent forward; leading edges were gouged and displayed cord wise scoring consistent with being under power at the time of ground impact.
The right wing was compressed to the inboard mounting strut. The left wing displayed localized crushing in the vicinity of the landing light assemblies and the left landing gear leading edge exhibited localized crushing consistent with contacting a large spiral wound cable.
As the FAA filed it
THE 83 HOUR PRIVATE PILOT WAS CONDUCTING NIGHT CURRENCY FLIGHTS AT HIS LOCAL AIRPORT, KPYN, PIEDMONT, MO. HE MADE TWO PREVIOUS LANDINGS ON RUNWAY 21 AND DEPARTURES ON RUNWAY 03. THE PILOT SENSED THE AIRCRAFT WAS LOW ON BASE FOR RUNWAY 21 WHILE MAKING THE THIRD APPROACH AND APPLIED POWER. THE AIRCRAFT ENGINE DID RESPOND TO THE POWER APPLICATION, BUT CONTINUED TO DESCEND. REALIZING HE WOULD NOT MAKE IT BACK TO THE RUNWAY, HE ADJUSTED FOR AN OPEN AREA ON THE AIRPORT PROPERTY. THE AIRCRAFT WAS BANKED APPROXIMATELY 25 DEGREES WHEN IT ENTERED SMALL TREE LIMBS PRIOR TO HEAVY CONTACT WITH POWER WIRES WITH THE LEFT WING AND LANDING GEAR 1572FT AND 34.5 DEGREES FROM THE RUNWAY. THE AIRCRAFT YAWED LEFT, DROPPED ON THE RIGHT WING AND LANDING GEAR ONTO THE DESCENDING FACE OF A ROADWAY EMBANKMENT 82 FT FROM THE WIRE CONTACT. THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED TO ROLL TO THE RIGHT UNTIL COMING TO REST INVERTED BELOW THE ROADWAY 38FT FROM THE INITIAL GROUND IMPACT SCAR. THE PILOT RELEASED HIS SEATBELT AND SHOULDER HARNESS AND EXITED THE AIRCRAFT WITH NO INJURIES.
THE LEFT/MAIN FUEL TANK WHICH THE PILOT STATED WAS SELECTED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT CONTAINED 3/4 OF A TANK OF CLEAR BLUE FUEL, THE RIGHT/AUX FUEL TANK CONTAINED 1/4 OF A TANK OF CLEAR BLUE FUEL. THE GASILATOR WAS DRAINED AND PRODUCED A STEADY FLOW OF CLEAR BLUE FUEL.
CONTROL CONTINUITY WAS ESTABLISHED TO ALL FLIGHT AND ENGINE CONTROLS.
ENGINE COMPRESSION WAS ESTABLISHED TO ALL FOUR CYLINDERS BY ROTATING THE PROPELLER. THE PROPELLER BLADE TIPS WERE BENT FORWARD; LEADING EDGES WERE GOUGED AND DISPLAYED CORD WISE SCORING CONSISTENT WITH BEING UNDER POWER AT THE TIME OF GROUND IMPACT.
THE RIGHT WING WAS COMPRESSED TO THE INBOARD MOUNTING STRUT. THE LEFT WING DISPLAYED LOCALIZED CRUSHING IN THE VICINITY OF THE LANDING LIGHT ASSEMBLIES AND THE LEFT LANDING GEAR LEADING EDGE EXHIBITED LOCALIZED CRUSHING CONSISTENT WITH CONTACTING A LARGE SPIRAL WOUND CABLE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.