What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
N2485C departed AR91 at approximately 0800 on March 31, 2018 enroute to Grove Oklahoma (kgmj) to get fuel. As the aircraft was approaching the airport 3 miles from the east, the aircraft engine lost power and the pilot made and emergency landing in a rodeo arena located approximately 1/2 mile east of the airport. The airplane hit the ground on an approximate 330 degree heading in a right wing low/nose down attitude; striking the right wingtip first followed immediately by the right main gear. The right gear collapsed and the aircraft slid approximately 65 feet until impacting a steel fence outlining the arena. The fuselage of the aircraft came to rest parallel to the fence on an approximate north heading, the wings of the aircraft were twisted and laying almost parallel on top of the fuselage wreckage, the aircrafts instrument panel/floorboard forward to the engine and propeller were facing approximately west, almost torn completely from the airframe. The left main gear went between two of the fence rails and was torn from airframe. The tailwheel assembly was found approximately 15 feet south of the wreckage.
Upon examination, a small amount of water was found inside the carburetor bowl; all other fuel samples from the tanks and gascolator were negative for water contamination. A small amount of particle contamination was found inside the carburetor bowl, carburetor screen and gascolator. The engine was examined for compression and the magnetos were examined for irregularities; no problems were found with the engine.
As the FAA filed it
N2485C DEPARTED AR91 AT APPROXIMATELY 0800 ON MARCH 31, 2018 ENROUTE TO GROVE OKLAHOMA (KGMJ) TO GET FUEL. AS THE AIRCRAFT WAS APPROACHING THE AIRPORT 3 MILES FROM THE EAST, THE AIRCRAFT ENGINE LOST POWER AND THE PILOT MADE AND EMERGENCY LANDING IN A RODEO ARENA LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 1/2 MILE EAST OF THE AIRPORT. THE AIRPLANE HIT THE GROUND ON AN APPROXIMATE 330 DEGREE HEADING IN A RIGHT WING LOW/NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE; STRIKING THE RIGHT WINGTIP FIRST FOLLOWED IMMEDIATELY BY THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR. THE RIGHT GEAR COLLAPSED AND THE AIRCRAFT SLID APPROXIMATELY 65 FEET UNTIL IMPACTING A STEEL FENCE OUTLINING THE ARENA. THE FUSELAGE OF THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST PARALLEL TO THE FENCE ON AN APPROXIMATE NORTH HEADING, THE WINGS OF THE AIRCRAFT WERE TWISTED AND LAYING ALMOST PARALLEL ON TOP OF THE FUSELAGE WRECKAGE, THE AIRCRAFTS INSTRUMENT PANEL/FLOORBOARD FORWARD TO THE ENGINE AND PROPELLER WERE FACING APPROXIMATELY WEST, ALMOST TORN COMPLETELY FROM THE AIRFRAME. THE LEFT MAIN GEAR WENT BETWEEN TWO OF THE FENCE RAILS AND WAS TORN FROM AIRFRAME. THE TAILWHEEL ASSEMBLY WAS FOUND APPROXIMATELY 15 FEET SOUTH OF THE WRECKAGE.
UPON EXAMINATION, A SMALL AMOUNT OF WATER WAS FOUND INSIDE THE CARBURETOR BOWL; ALL OTHER FUEL SAMPLES FROM THE TANKS AND GASCOLATOR WERE NEGATIVE FOR WATER CONTAMINATION. A SMALL AMOUNT OF PARTICLE CONTAMINATION WAS FOUND INSIDE THE CARBURETOR BOWL, CARBURETOR SCREEN AND GASCOLATOR. THE ENGINE WAS EXAMINED FOR COMPRESSION AND THE MAGNETOS WERE EXAMINED FOR IRREGULARITIES; NO PROBLEMS WERE FOUND WITH THE ENGINE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.