What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On January 18, 2025, at 12:08 (local time), aircraft privacy data omitted, experienced an off-field landing near Prescott airport (prc) Arizona. The incident, with two persons on board, a student pilot and a flight instructor, resulted in no injuries.
In an interview, the student pilot stated that the aircraft departed from prc at 10:45 am. The aircraft was flown to cottonwood AZ. Where the pilot made three successful landings before returning to prc. Approximately 30 minutes from arriving at prc, the pilot switched from the left to the right fuel tanks, just to check out the system. While lining up to land at prc, the aircraft experienced a loss of power from the engine. The flight instructor pilot took control of the aircraft but unfortunately, they could not make it to the runway and were forced to land short.
In an interview with the flight instructor, he confirmed the information received from the student pilot and added that after taking control of the aircraft, he had switched the fuel selector back to the left fuel tank which had no effect on the engine performance. He then shut down the engine and prepared for the off-field landing.
After moving the aircraft back the airport, mechanics confirmed that there was still fuel in both tanks.
A review of aircraft records showed the aircraft had just been sold to the student pilot on January 15, 2025, only three days prior to the incident. An annual inspection was completed on January 12, 2025, three days prior to the close of the sale. The last inspection performed before this annual was a 100 hour inspection, accomplished on December 17, 2023. The aircraft was not flown between inspections.
Physical inspection of the aircraft after the incident, revealed that the nose landing gear had been severed from the aircraft, due to the impact of the rough terrain. Multiple dents and skin damaged from impact with vegetation on aircraft belly, wings and tail. Two propellors were bent. No primary structure was damaged.
Theprivacy data omitted of the aircraft stated that he was awaiting the insurance appraisal before deciding if the aircraft was going to be repaired and put back into service.
As the FAA filed it
ON JANUARY 18, 2025, AT 12:08 (LOCAL TIME), AIRCRAFT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, EXPERIENCED AN OFF-FIELD LANDING NEAR PRESCOTT AIRPORT (PRC) ARIZONA. THE INCIDENT, WITH TWO PERSONS ON BOARD, A STUDENT PILOT AND A FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR, RESULTED IN NO INJURIES.
IN AN INTERVIEW, THE STUDENT PILOT STATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED FROM PRC AT 10:45 AM. THE AIRCRAFT WAS FLOWN TO COTTONWOOD AZ. WHERE THE PILOT MADE THREE SUCCESSFUL LANDINGS BEFORE RETURNING TO PRC. APPROXIMATELY 30 MINUTES FROM ARRIVING AT PRC, THE PILOT SWITCHED FROM THE LEFT TO THE RIGHT FUEL TANKS, JUST TO CHECK OUT THE SYSTEM. WHILE LINING UP TO LAND AT PRC, THE AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF POWER FROM THE ENGINE. THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR PILOT TOOK CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT BUT UNFORTUNATELY, THEY COULD NOT MAKE IT TO THE RUNWAY AND WERE FORCED TO LAND SHORT.
IN AN INTERVIEW WITH THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR, HE CONFIRMED THE INFORMATION RECEIVED FROM THE STUDENT PILOT AND ADDED THAT AFTER TAKING CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT, HE HAD SWITCHED THE FUEL SELECTOR BACK TO THE LEFT FUEL TANK WHICH HAD NO EFFECT ON THE ENGINE PERFORMANCE. HE THEN SHUT DOWN THE ENGINE AND PREPARED FOR THE OFF-FIELD LANDING.
AFTER MOVING THE AIRCRAFT BACK THE AIRPORT, MECHANICS CONFIRMED THAT THERE WAS STILL FUEL IN BOTH TANKS.
A REVIEW OF AIRCRAFT RECORDS SHOWED THE AIRCRAFT HAD JUST BEEN SOLD TO THE STUDENT PILOT ON JANUARY 15, 2025, ONLY THREE DAYS PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT. AN ANNUAL INSPECTION WAS COMPLETED ON JANUARY 12, 2025, THREE DAYS PRIOR TO THE CLOSE OF THE SALE. THE LAST INSPECTION PERFORMED BEFORE THIS ANNUAL WAS A 100 HOUR INSPECTION, ACCOMPLISHED ON DECEMBER 17, 2023. THE AIRCRAFT WAS NOT FLOWN BETWEEN INSPECTIONS.
PHYSICAL INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT AFTER THE INCIDENT, REVEALED THAT THE NOSE LANDING GEAR HAD BEEN SEVERED FROM THE AIRCRAFT, DUE TO THE IMPACT OF THE ROUGH TERRAIN. MULTIPLE DENTS AND SKIN DAMAGED FROM IMPACT WITH VEGETATION ON AIRCRAFT BELLY, WINGS AND TAIL. TWO PROPELLORS WERE BENT. NO PRIMARY STRUCTURE WAS DAMAGED.
THE^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ OF THE AIRCRAFT STATED THAT HE WAS AWAITING THE INSURANCE APPRAISAL BEFORE DECIDING IF THE AIRCRAFT WAS GOING TO BE REPAIRED AND PUT BACK INTO SERVICE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.