What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On January 31, 2017 after a new engine had been installed on the left mount the pilot had been breaking in the engine by operating at 4000 feet over the airport at high power settings. His flight was concluded after about 1.6 hours and he headed back to the kbfl airport (bakerfield, CA) and was in the landing flare when he felt that the aircraft should have touched down and it had not. Fearing that the landing gear was not down even though the 3 green landing gear indication were illuminated he performed a go around and added full power on both throttles. He immediatly noticed that there was not power on the left engine due to yaw and rolling torque. He leveled the pitch of the airplane and reduced right engine throttle to idle but the airplane continued to yaw and bank uncontrollably. The aircraft cartwheeled after as the left and right wings were hitting the ground. The nose of the airplane was crushed upward from the impact of the cartwheel. The pilot was slightly injured from cut and bruising and did not need hospitalization. VFR conditions prevailed and winds were light.
As the FAA filed it
ON JANUARY 31, 2017 AFTER A NEW ENGINE HAD BEEN INSTALLED ON THE LEFT MOUNT THE PILOT HAD BEEN BREAKING IN THE ENGINE BY OPERATING AT 4000 FEET OVER THE AIRPORT AT HIGH POWER SETTINGS. HIS FLIGHT WAS CONCLUDED AFTER ABOUT 1.6 HOURS AND HE HEADED BACK TO THE KBFL AIRPORT (BAKERFIELD, CA) AND WAS IN THE LANDING FLARE WHEN HE FELT THAT THE AIRCRAFT SHOULD HAVE TOUCHED DOWN AND IT HAD NOT. FEARING THAT THE LANDING GEAR WAS NOT DOWN EVEN THOUGH THE 3 GREEN LANDING GEAR INDICATION WERE ILLUMINATED HE PERFORMED A GO AROUND AND ADDED FULL POWER ON BOTH THROTTLES. HE IMMEDIATLY NOTICED THAT THERE WAS NOT POWER ON THE LEFT ENGINE DUE TO YAW AND ROLLING TORQUE. HE LEVELED THE PITCH OF THE AIRPLANE AND REDUCED RIGHT ENGINE THROTTLE TO IDLE BUT THE AIRPLANE CONTINUED TO YAW AND BANK UNCONTROLLABLY. THE AIRCRAFT CARTWHEELED AFTER AS THE LEFT AND RIGHT WINGS WERE HITTING THE GROUND. THE NOSE OF THE AIRPLANE WAS CRUSHED UPWARD FROM THE IMPACT OF THE CARTWHEEL. THE PILOT WAS SLIGHTLY INJURED FROM CUT AND BRUISING AND DID NOT NEED HOSPITALIZATION. VFR CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND WINDS WERE LIGHT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.