What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Pilot was on cross country flight when aircraft experienced partial loss of power.
Pilot could only maintain 1500 RPM on engine.
Pilot elected to make a precautionary landing on a dry lake bed which is surrounded by extreme rugged terrain.
Upon landing, the aircraft nose wheel dug into the dry lake surface and the aircraft flipped over.
The pilot, who was the sole occupant of the aircraft, was uninjured.
Subsequent examination of the aircraft did not reveal any apparent cause for the partial power failure.
The aircraft appeared to have fuel in the fuel tanks, though it was not possible to determine the quantity, due to the aircraft being inverted.
Ground marks and damage to the aircraft appeared consistant with the facts provided by the pilot.
The engine appeared to be making some power at the point of impact.
Flight control continuity was established.
Aircraft was recovered and is scheduled for a future engine examination.
Report to be amended.
As the FAA filed it
PILOT WAS ON CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT WHEN AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED PARTIAL LOSS OF POWER.
PILOT COULD ONLY MAINTAIN 1500 RPM ON ENGINE.
PILOT ELECTED TO MAKE A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING ON A DRY LAKE BED WHICH IS SURROUNDED BY EXTREME RUGGED TERRAIN.
UPON LANDING, THE AIRCRAFT NOSE WHEEL DUG INTO THE DRY LAKE SURFACE AND THE AIRCRAFT FLIPPED OVER.
THE PILOT, WHO WAS THE SOLE OCCUPANT OF THE AIRCRAFT, WAS UNINJURED.
SUBSEQUENT EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT DID NOT REVEAL ANY APPARENT CAUSE FOR THE PARTIAL POWER FAILURE.
THE AIRCRAFT APPEARED TO HAVE FUEL IN THE FUEL TANKS, THOUGH IT WAS NOT POSSIBLE TO DETERMINE THE QUANTITY, DUE TO THE AIRCRAFT BEING INVERTED.
GROUND MARKS AND DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT APPEARED CONSISTANT WITH THE FACTS PROVIDED BY THE PILOT.
THE ENGINE APPEARED TO BE MAKING SOME POWER AT THE POINT OF IMPACT.
FLIGHT CONTROL CONTINUITY WAS ESTABLISHED.
AIRCRAFT WAS RECOVERED AND IS SCHEDULED FOR A FUTURE ENGINE EXAMINATION.
REPORT TO BE AMENDED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.