What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Pilot made a VFR flight from llano, Texas (kaqo) direct to his ranch grass landing strip just outside of Fredricksburg, Texas. It was a 20-25 minute flight and then pilot made 3 circles over his ranch and executed a downwind, base and final approach to land on runway 14 for a planned return to kaqo. Pilot decided the landing strip grass was too tall and rejected landing.
On climb out the aircraft seemed sluggish and began to have a loss of power. Pilot managed to land in a small opening about a quarter of a mile from the intended landing strip. Aircraft came to rest on a rising terrain area causing substantial damage to left and right wings, engine, propeller, engine compartment, bottom fuselage and main landing gear. Fuel on board showed 1/2 tank of fuel remained on the external sight gage. No loss of fuel was evident from ground signature. Aircraft engine bottom side was not accessible to view. Fuel line to engine was checked by disconnecting union nut and had a steady stream of fuel flow. Carburetor icing was not a factor for the day and time of crash. Pilot sustained a fracture laceration to left side of face orbital rim of left eye socket, injury to left elbow. There was no post crash fire. Aircraft was moved to air salvage of dallas. privacy data omitted Of the NTSB will inspect engine and attempt to determine cause of failure. The NTSB will report finding to this office at which time this report will be amended.
As the FAA filed it
PILOT MADE A VFR FLIGHT FROM LLANO, TEXAS (KAQO) DIRECT TO HIS RANCH GRASS LANDING STRIP JUST OUTSIDE OF FREDRICKSBURG, TEXAS. IT WAS A 20-25 MINUTE FLIGHT AND THEN PILOT MADE 3 CIRCLES OVER HIS RANCH AND EXECUTED A DOWNWIND, BASE AND FINAL APPROACH TO LAND ON RUNWAY 14 FOR A PLANNED RETURN TO KAQO. PILOT DECIDED THE LANDING STRIP GRASS WAS TOO TALL AND REJECTED LANDING.
ON CLIMB OUT THE AIRCRAFT SEEMED SLUGGISH AND BEGAN TO HAVE A LOSS OF POWER. PILOT MANAGED TO LAND IN A SMALL OPENING ABOUT A QUARTER OF A MILE FROM THE INTENDED LANDING STRIP. AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST ON A RISING TERRAIN AREA CAUSING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO LEFT AND RIGHT WINGS, ENGINE, PROPELLER, ENGINE COMPARTMENT, BOTTOM FUSELAGE AND MAIN LANDING GEAR. FUEL ON BOARD SHOWED 1/2 TANK OF FUEL REMAINED ON THE EXTERNAL SIGHT GAGE. NO LOSS OF FUEL WAS EVIDENT FROM GROUND SIGNATURE. AIRCRAFT ENGINE BOTTOM SIDE WAS NOT ACCESSIBLE TO VIEW. FUEL LINE TO ENGINE WAS CHECKED BY DISCONNECTING UNION NUT AND HAD A STEADY STREAM OF FUEL FLOW. CARBURETOR ICING WAS NOT A FACTOR FOR THE DAY AND TIME OF CRASH. PILOT SUSTAINED A FRACTURE LACERATION TO LEFT SIDE OF FACE ORBITAL RIM OF LEFT EYE SOCKET, INJURY TO LEFT ELBOW. THERE WAS NO POST CRASH FIRE. AIRCRAFT WAS MOVED TO AIR SALVAGE OF DALLAS. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ OF THE NTSB WILL INSPECT ENGINE AND ATTEMPT TO DETERMINE CAUSE OF FAILURE. THE NTSB WILL REPORT FINDING TO THIS OFFICE AT WHICH TIME THIS REPORT WILL 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.