What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 2/19/2022, N242K was substantially damaged trying to land at Buckeye airport kbxk. Pilot approached trying to locate ultralight runway and incorrectly ended up landing on parking lot at bxk. Pilot saw power lines (35? AGL) on short final, made abrupt pull-up to avoid, but in doing so, lost all speed, never re-added engine power and made a hard landing, causing landing gear to splay outward, then hit weighted parking sign, resulting in the aircraft nosing over (forward) and coming to rest inverted facing the opposite direction of landing.
Investigation revealed pilot mistook watered-down parking lot strip for the ultralight runway and overflew the actual runway thinking dark strip beyond ultralight runway was the actual landing point.
Root cause was pilot's unfamiliarity with the airport and the watered down parking lot row giving the appearance of a dirt runway, which was adjacent to the actual ultralight runway.
Corrective action: pilotprivacy data omitted was counseled, compliant, and understood his mistake in the actual mishap by failing to re-add power. He understands the importance of a thorough flight planning process to unfamiliar airports and did that to the extent possible.
I am confident the counseling and that the corrective action, coupled with his experience in this event, will reestablish safety in the nas. I recommend no further action
As the FAA filed it
ON 2/19/2022, N242K WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED TRYING TO LAND AT BUCKEYE AIRPORT KBXK. PILOT APPROACHED TRYING TO LOCATE ULTRALIGHT RUNWAY AND INCORRECTLY ENDED UP LANDING ON PARKING LOT AT BXK. PILOT SAW POWER LINES (35? AGL) ON SHORT FINAL, MADE ABRUPT PULL-UP TO AVOID, BUT IN DOING SO, LOST ALL SPEED, NEVER RE-ADDED ENGINE POWER AND MADE A HARD LANDING, CAUSING LANDING GEAR TO SPLAY OUTWARD, THEN HIT WEIGHTED PARKING SIGN, RESULTING IN THE AIRCRAFT NOSING OVER (FORWARD) AND COMING TO REST INVERTED FACING THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION OF LANDING.
INVESTIGATION REVEALED PILOT MISTOOK WATERED-DOWN PARKING LOT STRIP FOR THE ULTRALIGHT RUNWAY AND OVERFLEW THE ACTUAL RUNWAY THINKING DARK STRIP BEYOND ULTRALIGHT RUNWAY WAS THE ACTUAL LANDING POINT.
ROOT CAUSE WAS PILOT'S UNFAMILIARITY WITH THE AIRPORT AND THE WATERED DOWN PARKING LOT ROW GIVING THE APPEARANCE OF A DIRT RUNWAY, WHICH WAS ADJACENT TO THE ACTUAL ULTRALIGHT RUNWAY.
CORRECTIVE ACTION: PILOT^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS COUNSELED, COMPLIANT, AND UNDERSTOOD HIS MISTAKE IN THE ACTUAL MISHAP BY FAILING TO RE-ADD POWER. HE UNDERSTANDS THE IMPORTANCE OF A THOROUGH FLIGHT PLANNING PROCESS TO UNFAMILIAR AIRPORTS AND DID THAT TO THE EXTENT POSSIBLE.
I AM CONFIDENT THE COUNSELING AND THAT THE CORRECTIVE ACTION, COUPLED WITH HIS EXPERIENCE IN THIS EVENT, WILL REESTABLISH SAFETY IN THE NAS. I RECOMMEND NO FURTHER ACTION
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.