What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Pilot and student departed abilene regional airport in abilene, Texas. The purpose of the flight was for student to satisfy solo tower controlled airport landings requirement for his pilot training. Aircraft was topped off with fuel for the intended flight prior to departure. The flight went as planned until flight crew began a slow decent to instructor pilots private airstrip approximately 3 miles out. Airstrip is located in Mullin, Texas. At approximately 3000 feet MSL the ehgine failed completely. Instructor pilot immediately took control of aircraft controls and ensured fuel selector was on both, carburetor heat was on and mixture was full rich. Pilot trimmed the aircraft for best glide rate of decent. Flight crew realized making it to the intended airstrip was not possible at this point. Pilot altered course 45 degrees west for a more favorable landing spot. Emergency procedures were complied with. The most favorable landing spot was a plowed field about I mile out. Pilot configured for a soft field landing. At the entrance to the plowed field there was a line of trees and the aircraft right wingtip made contact with one of the trees. Pilot was able to regain control of aircraft and at that point aircraft was about 6 feet from ground. Aircraft touched down on both main gear and skidded about 30 feet in the loose plowed soil before coming to an abrupt stop when the nose gear dug into the soil. The aircraft slowly toppled over onto its wings. Aircraft sustained major structural damage to top section of vertical stabilizer ribs, rudder top section damaged, left inboard top wing punctured area damage to rear spar area, right wing tip damaged, fwd leading edges both wings damage and buckling of skin underside of both wings, nose gear strut bent and strut support severely damaged, underside fwd belly cowling damaged, right top outboard elevator trailing edge damaged. These are areas that were visible to inspector as aircraft came to rest in an inverted position and some areas were not visible at time of visual inspection. There was fuel leaking from both top wing fuel fill ports. There was no post crash fire no injuries reported by flight crew. Aircraft was moved to air salvage of dallas for further investigation.
As the FAA filed it
PILOT AND STUDENT DEPARTED ABILENE REGIONAL AIRPORT IN ABILENE, TEXAS. THE PURPOSE OF THE FLIGHT WAS FOR STUDENT TO SATISFY SOLO TOWER CONTROLLED AIRPORT LANDINGS REQUIREMENT FOR HIS PILOT TRAINING. AIRCRAFT WAS TOPPED OFF WITH FUEL FOR THE INTENDED FLIGHT PRIOR TO DEPARTURE. THE FLIGHT WENT AS PLANNED UNTIL FLIGHT CREW BEGAN A SLOW DECENT TO INSTRUCTOR PILOTS PRIVATE AIRSTRIP APPROXIMATELY 3 MILES OUT. AIRSTRIP IS LOCATED IN MULLIN, TEXAS. AT APPROXIMATELY 3000 FEET MSL THE EHGINE FAILED COMPLETELY. INSTRUCTOR PILOT IMMEDIATELY TOOK CONTROL OF AIRCRAFT CONTROLS AND ENSURED FUEL SELECTOR WAS ON BOTH, CARBURETOR HEAT WAS ON AND MIXTURE WAS FULL RICH. PILOT TRIMMED THE AIRCRAFT FOR BEST GLIDE RATE OF DECENT. FLIGHT CREW REALIZED MAKING IT TO THE INTENDED AIRSTRIP WAS NOT POSSIBLE AT THIS POINT. PILOT ALTERED COURSE 45 DEGREES WEST FOR A MORE FAVORABLE LANDING SPOT. EMERGENCY PROCEDURES WERE COMPLIED WITH. THE MOST FAVORABLE LANDING SPOT WAS A PLOWED FIELD ABOUT I MILE OUT. PILOT CONFIGURED FOR A SOFT FIELD LANDING. AT THE ENTRANCE TO THE PLOWED FIELD THERE WAS A LINE OF TREES AND THE AIRCRAFT RIGHT WINGTIP MADE CONTACT WITH ONE OF THE TREES. PILOT WAS ABLE TO REGAIN CONTROL OF AIRCRAFT AND AT THAT POINT AIRCRAFT WAS ABOUT 6 FEET FROM GROUND. AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN ON BOTH MAIN GEAR AND SKIDDED ABOUT 30 FEET IN THE LOOSE PLOWED SOIL BEFORE COMING TO AN ABRUPT STOP WHEN THE NOSE GEAR DUG INTO THE SOIL. THE AIRCRAFT SLOWLY TOPPLED OVER ONTO ITS WINGS. AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED MAJOR STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO TOP SECTION OF VERTICAL STABILIZER RIBS, RUDDER TOP SECTION DAMAGED, LEFT INBOARD TOP WING PUNCTURED AREA DAMAGE TO REAR SPAR AREA, RIGHT WING TIP DAMAGED, FWD LEADING EDGES BOTH WINGS DAMAGE AND BUCKLING OF SKIN UNDERSIDE OF BOTH WINGS, NOSE GEAR STRUT BENT AND STRUT SUPPORT SEVERELY DAMAGED, UNDERSIDE FWD BELLY COWLING DAMAGED, RIGHT TOP OUTBOARD ELEVATOR TRAILING EDGE DAMAGED. THESE ARE AREAS THAT WERE VISIBLE TO INSPECTOR AS AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST IN AN INVERTED POSITION AND SOME AREAS WERE NOT VISIBLE AT TIME OF VISUAL INSPECTION. THERE WAS FUEL LEAKING FROM BOTH TOP WING FUEL FILL PORTS. THERE WAS NO POST CRASH FIRE NO INJURIES REPORTED BY FLIGHT CREW. AIRCRAFT WAS MOVED TO AIR SALVAGE OF DALLAS FOR FURTHER INVESTIGATION.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.