What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The pilot stated that while enroute with a newly purchased aircraft at 10,000FT from lees summit airport, KS.(lxt) to dalhart, TX.(dht) the pilot and privacy data omitted passenger encountered "moderate to severe turbulence for a few seconds. Shortly after the turbulence encounter they experienced a complete engine failure without warning. The pilot started an immediate decent and turned on the boost pump, transfer pumps and change throttle and mixture settings to no avail. The pilot had elected to try and land at West Woodward Airport ok.(wwr), but due to winds of 160 @ 20 gust to 26 was unable.
The aircraft landed in a grassy pasture field approximately 1 mile north of wwr. The gear was extended and on roll out contacted a patch of sagebrush, causing the aircraft to yaw which led to the gear collapse.
Damage to the aircraft was as follows: all three gears failed, propeller mildly bent and aft section of the fuselage just forward of the empennage fractured but not separated.
The pilot stated that the main fuel shut off lever was found partially in the "off" position (this ball valve/handle is just above the passengers left knee) and he was not certain when it was displaced, during the turbulence or the landing in the field.
As the FAA filed it
THE PILOT STATED THAT WHILE ENROUTE WITH A NEWLY PURCHASED AIRCRAFT AT 10,000FT FROM LEES SUMMIT AIRPORT, KS.(LXT) TO DALHART, TX.(DHT) THE PILOT AND ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ PASSENGER ENCOUNTERED "MODERATE TO SEVERE TURBULENCE FOR A FEW SECONDS. SHORTLY AFTER THE TURBULENCE ENCOUNTER THEY EXPERIENCED A COMPLETE ENGINE FAILURE WITHOUT WARNING. THE PILOT STARTED AN IMMEDIATE DECENT AND TURNED ON THE BOOST PUMP, TRANSFER PUMPS AND CHANGE THROTTLE AND MIXTURE SETTINGS TO NO AVAIL. THE PILOT HAD ELECTED TO TRY AND LAND AT WEST WOODWARD AIRPORT OK.(WWR), BUT DUE TO WINDS OF 160 @ 20 GUST TO 26 WAS UNABLE.
THE AIRCRAFT LANDED IN A GRASSY PASTURE FIELD APPROXIMATELY 1 MILE NORTH OF WWR. THE GEAR WAS EXTENDED AND ON ROLL OUT CONTACTED A PATCH OF SAGEBRUSH, CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO YAW WHICH LED TO THE GEAR COLLAPSE.
DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT WAS AS FOLLOWS: ALL THREE GEARS FAILED, PROPELLER MILDLY BENT AND AFT SECTION OF THE FUSELAGE JUST FORWARD OF THE EMPENNAGE FRACTURED BUT NOT SEPARATED.
THE PILOT STATED THAT THE MAIN FUEL SHUT OFF LEVER WAS FOUND PARTIALLY IN THE "OFF" POSITION (THIS BALL VALVE/HANDLE IS JUST ABOVE THE PASSENGERS LEFT KNEE) AND HE WAS NOT CERTAIN WHEN IT WAS DISPLACED, DURING THE TURBULENCE OR THE LANDING IN THE FIELD.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.