What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Pilot stated that he had departed propwash airport for bridgeport. He was cruising at 3,200 ft when his exhaust gas temperatures started climbing and pegged into the red. He started a turn to go back to propwash when he started losing power. He saw a runway and tried to make it to the runway. Pilot stated the engine lost power but he was not sure if it was still running or not.
On site, aircraft was sitting approximately one quarter mile off the approach end of runway 17 at 6XS7. The aircraft appeared to have touched down and during rollout, struck a low berm. The right main landing gear was just past the berm approximately 100 feet from the aircraft. The left main landing gear was broken but still attached to the aircraft. The nose gear mount had folded. Two of the three propeller blades had damage indicative of hitting the ground without being under power. There was no other apparent damage to the aircraft. The left and right wing tanks showed evidence of fuel. The header tank was more than half full of fuel. The fuel filter drained fuel when the bowl drain was opened. The engine oil dipstick showed low oil which could have been due to the angle the aircraft was sitting at.
After the aircraft was moved to a hangar, we verified there was no substantial damage to the bottom of the aircraft. Reviewed engine data download. The data shows the engine operating normally until approximately the 18 minute mark, at this time the manifold pressure and the exhaust gas temperature started to fluctuate. At around the 19 minute mark, the manifold pressure spiked to 39.5 PSI then dropped and the exhaust gas temperature began dropping rapidly. This corresponds to the times where the pilot started his turn back to propwash airport and then made an emergency landing in the field.
As the FAA filed it
PILOT STATED THAT HE HAD DEPARTED PROPWASH AIRPORT FOR BRIDGEPORT. HE WAS CRUISING AT 3,200 FT WHEN HIS EXHAUST GAS TEMPERATURES STARTED CLIMBING AND PEGGED INTO THE RED. HE STARTED A TURN TO GO BACK TO PROPWASH WHEN HE STARTED LOSING POWER. HE SAW A RUNWAY AND TRIED TO MAKE IT TO THE RUNWAY. PILOT STATED THE ENGINE LOST POWER BUT HE WAS NOT SURE IF IT WAS STILL RUNNING OR NOT.
ON SITE, AIRCRAFT WAS SITTING APPROXIMATELY ONE QUARTER MILE OFF THE APPROACH END OF RUNWAY 17 AT 6XS7. THE AIRCRAFT APPEARED TO HAVE TOUCHED DOWN AND DURING ROLLOUT, STRUCK A LOW BERM. THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR WAS JUST PAST THE BERM APPROXIMATELY 100 FEET FROM THE AIRCRAFT. THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR WAS BROKEN BUT STILL ATTACHED TO THE AIRCRAFT. THE NOSE GEAR MOUNT HAD FOLDED. TWO OF THE THREE PROPELLER BLADES HAD DAMAGE INDICATIVE OF HITTING THE GROUND WITHOUT BEING UNDER POWER. THERE WAS NO OTHER APPARENT DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT. THE LEFT AND RIGHT WING TANKS SHOWED EVIDENCE OF FUEL. THE HEADER TANK WAS MORE THAN HALF FULL OF FUEL. THE FUEL FILTER DRAINED FUEL WHEN THE BOWL DRAIN WAS OPENED. THE ENGINE OIL DIPSTICK SHOWED LOW OIL WHICH COULD HAVE BEEN DUE TO THE ANGLE THE AIRCRAFT WAS SITTING AT.
AFTER THE AIRCRAFT WAS MOVED TO A HANGAR, WE VERIFIED THERE WAS NO SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE AIRCRAFT. REVIEWED ENGINE DATA DOWNLOAD. THE DATA SHOWS THE ENGINE OPERATING NORMALLY UNTIL APPROXIMATELY THE 18 MINUTE MARK, AT THIS TIME THE MANIFOLD PRESSURE AND THE EXHAUST GAS TEMPERATURE STARTED TO FLUCTUATE. AT AROUND THE 19 MINUTE MARK, THE MANIFOLD PRESSURE SPIKED TO 39.5 PSI THEN DROPPED AND THE EXHAUST GAS TEMPERATURE BEGAN DROPPING RAPIDLY. THIS CORRESPONDS TO THE TIMES WHERE THE PILOT STARTED HIS TURN BACK TO PROPWASH AIRPORT AND THEN MADE AN EMERGENCY LANDING IN THE FIELD.
Other reports on N121DF · 1
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