What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On July 30, 2023 at approximately 1655 local time, the PIC was on short final for a grass runway. The propeller stopped rotating less than five seconds prior to touchdown on the runway. The PIC experienced a hard landing on the grass runway which resulted in collapsing the right main landing gear and the right wingtip striking the ground along with wrinkling on fuselage near attachment points for landing gear. The aircraft remained upright and the PIC evacuated the aircraft without injury.
An aircraft examination was performed on August 2, 2023 at the airport the aircraft was stored at after the accident. Flight control continuity was verified. Thumb compression was verified positive on all cylinders. Spark was verified at all eight spark plugs. The flow divider showed evidence of fuel but was not dripping out of all four ports. There was no fuel out of the inlet, but visible in the flow divider. The diaphragm was in place and there was no sign of contamination. Fuel samples were taken from the gascolator, fuel sump, and aft fuel drain. All three samples appeared blue with no visible contaminants. The engine was rotated by hand and mechanical fuel pump provided fuel to the flow divider. Electric fuel pump was energized and it also had flow. Throttle movement was checked and both high and low speed stops hit. There was no cushion on the high end. The propeller lever was checked and it was found to be slightly out of adjustment as it was not hitting the high-speed stop. The safety wire for the prop governor was loose at the high-speed stop. The mixture control lever hit both rich and lean stops with cushion on both ends. The fuel injectors were removed and inspected with no discrepancies in all four. The induction system was clean. The air intake was found to be clear. The foam air filter element was dirty, but light shined through. Unable to perform engine run due to damage to landing gear as it was unable to support the weight of the aircraft. Garmin G3X data card sent to NTSB for analysis. Will amend if new information becomes available.
As the FAA filed it
ON JULY 30, 2023 AT APPROXIMATELY 1655 LOCAL TIME, THE PIC WAS ON SHORT FINAL FOR A GRASS RUNWAY. THE PROPELLER STOPPED ROTATING LESS THAN FIVE SECONDS PRIOR TO TOUCHDOWN ON THE RUNWAY. THE PIC EXPERIENCED A HARD LANDING ON THE GRASS RUNWAY WHICH RESULTED IN COLLAPSING THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR AND THE RIGHT WINGTIP STRIKING THE GROUND ALONG WITH WRINKLING ON FUSELAGE NEAR ATTACHMENT POINTS FOR LANDING GEAR. THE AIRCRAFT REMAINED UPRIGHT AND THE PIC EVACUATED THE AIRCRAFT WITHOUT INJURY.
AN AIRCRAFT EXAMINATION WAS PERFORMED ON AUGUST 2, 2023 AT THE AIRPORT THE AIRCRAFT WAS STORED AT AFTER THE ACCIDENT. FLIGHT CONTROL CONTINUITY WAS VERIFIED. THUMB COMPRESSION WAS VERIFIED POSITIVE ON ALL CYLINDERS. SPARK WAS VERIFIED AT ALL EIGHT SPARK PLUGS. THE FLOW DIVIDER SHOWED EVIDENCE OF FUEL BUT WAS NOT DRIPPING OUT OF ALL FOUR PORTS. THERE WAS NO FUEL OUT OF THE INLET, BUT VISIBLE IN THE FLOW DIVIDER. THE DIAPHRAGM WAS IN PLACE AND THERE WAS NO SIGN OF CONTAMINATION. FUEL SAMPLES WERE TAKEN FROM THE GASCOLATOR, FUEL SUMP, AND AFT FUEL DRAIN. ALL THREE SAMPLES APPEARED BLUE WITH NO VISIBLE CONTAMINANTS. THE ENGINE WAS ROTATED BY HAND AND MECHANICAL FUEL PUMP PROVIDED FUEL TO THE FLOW DIVIDER. ELECTRIC FUEL PUMP WAS ENERGIZED AND IT ALSO HAD FLOW. THROTTLE MOVEMENT WAS CHECKED AND BOTH HIGH AND LOW SPEED STOPS HIT. THERE WAS NO CUSHION ON THE HIGH END. THE PROPELLER LEVER WAS CHECKED AND IT WAS FOUND TO BE SLIGHTLY OUT OF ADJUSTMENT AS IT WAS NOT HITTING THE HIGH-SPEED STOP. THE SAFETY WIRE FOR THE PROP GOVERNOR WAS LOOSE AT THE HIGH-SPEED STOP. THE MIXTURE CONTROL LEVER HIT BOTH RICH AND LEAN STOPS WITH CUSHION ON BOTH ENDS. THE FUEL INJECTORS WERE REMOVED AND INSPECTED WITH NO DISCREPANCIES IN ALL FOUR. THE INDUCTION SYSTEM WAS CLEAN. THE AIR INTAKE WAS FOUND TO BE CLEAR. THE FOAM AIR FILTER ELEMENT WAS DIRTY, BUT LIGHT SHINED THROUGH. UNABLE TO PERFORM ENGINE RUN DUE TO DAMAGE TO LANDING GEAR AS IT WAS UNABLE TO SUPPORT THE WEIGHT OF THE AIRCRAFT. GARMIN G3X DATA CARD SENT TO NTSB FOR ANALYSIS. WILL AMEND IF NEW INFORMATION BECOMES AVAILABLE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.