What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The aircraft departed r/w 30 into a 20 kt headwind. Climbing above 400' AGL, the pilot and witnesses observed / heard engine surging and the PIC stated power was lost. He elected to turn 180 degrees back to the departure runway, due to lack of any good options in the river canyon under him and ahead. He landed long on r/w 12 with a 20 knot tailwind and touched down with 540 ft remaining of the 2500 ft runway. He overran the FAR end of the runway, skidded across the gravel overrun and plowed through 2 welded steel fences, knocking off the nose gear and the right main gear, then across a bike trail and diagonally across the 3 westbound lanes of a 6 lane divided highway, skidding on its nose and right wingtip. The prop made 3 wide spaced rotational scars in the pavement. The propeller hub struck the cement curb of the highway median, and the aircraft flipped longitudinally onto its back, coming to rest inverted 190 feet from the end of the runway. The fence impact and overturn separated the engine from the firewall. The pilot, who was the only occupant, was wearing a 3 point harness, and received only minor injuries. No cars on the normally busy highway were involved, due to the shelter in place order in effect for the covid-19 pandemic. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The fuel tanks contained 28 gallons of 100 ll avgas, which was found leaking out of the fuel caps in the storage area, with blue stains visible on top of the wings, seeping from the securely fastened fuel caps. The flaps were found in the 20 degree position. The fuel selector was found in the off position, and the flap selector was found in the full down position. The pilot stated that he had turned the fuel off intentionally, after the accident.
As the FAA filed it
THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED R/W 30 INTO A 20 KT HEADWIND. CLIMBING ABOVE 400' AGL, THE PILOT AND WITNESSES OBSERVED / HEARD ENGINE SURGING AND THE PIC STATED POWER WAS LOST. HE ELECTED TO TURN 180 DEGREES BACK TO THE DEPARTURE RUNWAY, DUE TO LACK OF ANY GOOD OPTIONS IN THE RIVER CANYON UNDER HIM AND AHEAD. HE LANDED LONG ON R/W 12 WITH A 20 KNOT TAILWIND AND TOUCHED DOWN WITH 540 FT REMAINING OF THE 2500 FT RUNWAY. HE OVERRAN THE FAR END OF THE RUNWAY, SKIDDED ACROSS THE GRAVEL OVERRUN AND PLOWED THROUGH 2 WELDED STEEL FENCES, KNOCKING OFF THE NOSE GEAR AND THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR, THEN ACROSS A BIKE TRAIL AND DIAGONALLY ACROSS THE 3 WESTBOUND LANES OF A 6 LANE DIVIDED HIGHWAY, SKIDDING ON ITS NOSE AND RIGHT WINGTIP. THE PROP MADE 3 WIDE SPACED ROTATIONAL SCARS IN THE PAVEMENT. THE PROPELLER HUB STRUCK THE CEMENT CURB OF THE HIGHWAY MEDIAN, AND THE AIRCRAFT FLIPPED LONGITUDINALLY ONTO ITS BACK, COMING TO REST INVERTED 190 FEET FROM THE END OF THE RUNWAY. THE FENCE IMPACT AND OVERTURN SEPARATED THE ENGINE FROM THE FIREWALL. THE PILOT, WHO WAS THE ONLY OCCUPANT, WAS WEARING A 3 POINT HARNESS, AND RECEIVED ONLY MINOR INJURIES. NO CARS ON THE NORMALLY BUSY HIGHWAY WERE INVOLVED, DUE TO THE SHELTER IN PLACE ORDER IN EFFECT FOR THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC. THE AIRCRAFT WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED. THE FUEL TANKS CONTAINED 28 GALLONS OF 100 LL AVGAS, WHICH WAS FOUND LEAKING OUT OF THE FUEL CAPS IN THE STORAGE AREA, WITH BLUE STAINS VISIBLE ON TOP OF THE WINGS, SEEPING FROM THE SECURELY FASTENED FUEL CAPS. THE FLAPS WERE FOUND IN THE 20 DEGREE POSITION. THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS FOUND IN THE OFF POSITION, AND THE FLAP SELECTOR WAS FOUND IN THE FULL DOWN POSITION. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE HAD TURNED THE FUEL OFF INTENTIONALLY, AFTER THE ACCIDENT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.