What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Pilot stated that the aircraft developed a sudden rapid loss of power without prior roughness. The engine quit, and three restarts were attempted.
The aircraft was located approximately 1850' south of the approach end of runway 36 facing 270. The aircraft approached from the south and struck nose down 54 feet from tree line, impacting the spinner, propeller blades and nose gear. The nose landing gear broke off, and the wheel assembly and strut yoke were at the initial contact location. The upper portion of the strut remained with the aircraft. After initial impact, the aircraft rotated 90 degrees left and came to rest heading 270 degrees on the side of a hill with the right wing in a high position. The main landing gear also broke off at final impact, located beneath the aircraft. The fuel tanks ruptured, and remaining fuel ignited and burned the majority of the aircraft fuselage in the post impact fire. The fuselage was destroyed from firewall to the empennage. The fire also consumed parts of the engine. The left wing was destroyed from the left main fuel tank to wing attach point. The right wing was intact but showed signs of fire. A flight control continuity check was performed and could be verified for ailerons, elevator, and rudder. Flap position could not be determined as the left was partially burned and broken and faired with wing. The right flap was intact but broken and faired with wing. No cockpit flap control could be located due to the post flight fire.
09/17/2025 NTSB and FAA assembled at kduh to inspect the engine. Upper cylinder plugs were removed for a compression check, but the engine could not be pulled through. The alternator belt was cut and removed but with same result, as well as both magnetos and mechanical fuel pump. The accessory gear box was removed, no broken gears found. At that time the engine could be pulled through and all cylinders developed compression. Stated prior, the carburetor, oil tank, and other aluminum parts on the lower side of the engine along with wiring and components mounted to the accessory gearbox were consumed in the post impact fire.
As the FAA filed it
PILOT STATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT DEVELOPED A SUDDEN RAPID LOSS OF POWER WITHOUT PRIOR ROUGHNESS. THE ENGINE QUIT, AND THREE RESTARTS WERE ATTEMPTED.
THE AIRCRAFT WAS LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 1850' SOUTH OF THE APPROACH END OF RUNWAY 36 FACING 270. THE AIRCRAFT APPROACHED FROM THE SOUTH AND STRUCK NOSE DOWN 54 FEET FROM TREE LINE, IMPACTING THE SPINNER, PROPELLER BLADES AND NOSE GEAR. THE NOSE LANDING GEAR BROKE OFF, AND THE WHEEL ASSEMBLY AND STRUT YOKE WERE AT THE INITIAL CONTACT LOCATION. THE UPPER PORTION OF THE STRUT REMAINED WITH THE AIRCRAFT. AFTER INITIAL IMPACT, THE AIRCRAFT ROTATED 90 DEGREES LEFT AND CAME TO REST HEADING 270 DEGREES ON THE SIDE OF A HILL WITH THE RIGHT WING IN A HIGH POSITION. THE MAIN LANDING GEAR ALSO BROKE OFF AT FINAL IMPACT, LOCATED BENEATH THE AIRCRAFT. THE FUEL TANKS RUPTURED, AND REMAINING FUEL IGNITED AND BURNED THE MAJORITY OF THE AIRCRAFT FUSELAGE IN THE POST IMPACT FIRE. THE FUSELAGE WAS DESTROYED FROM FIREWALL TO THE EMPENNAGE. THE FIRE ALSO CONSUMED PARTS OF THE ENGINE. THE LEFT WING WAS DESTROYED FROM THE LEFT MAIN FUEL TANK TO WING ATTACH POINT. THE RIGHT WING WAS INTACT BUT SHOWED SIGNS OF FIRE. A FLIGHT CONTROL CONTINUITY CHECK WAS PERFORMED AND COULD BE VERIFIED FOR AILERONS, ELEVATOR, AND RUDDER. FLAP POSITION COULD NOT BE DETERMINED AS THE LEFT WAS PARTIALLY BURNED AND BROKEN AND FAIRED WITH WING. THE RIGHT FLAP WAS INTACT BUT BROKEN AND FAIRED WITH WING. NO COCKPIT FLAP CONTROL COULD BE LOCATED DUE TO THE POST FLIGHT FIRE.
09/17/2025 NTSB AND FAA ASSEMBLED AT KDUH TO INSPECT THE ENGINE. UPPER CYLINDER PLUGS WERE REMOVED FOR A COMPRESSION CHECK, BUT THE ENGINE COULD NOT BE PULLED THROUGH. THE ALTERNATOR BELT WAS CUT AND REMOVED BUT WITH SAME RESULT, AS WELL AS BOTH MAGNETOS AND MECHANICAL FUEL PUMP. THE ACCESSORY GEAR BOX WAS REMOVED, NO BROKEN GEARS FOUND. AT THAT TIME THE ENGINE COULD BE PULLED THROUGH AND ALL CYLINDERS DEVELOPED COMPRESSION. STATED PRIOR, THE CARBURETOR, OIL TANK, AND OTHER ALUMINUM PARTS ON THE LOWER SIDE OF THE ENGINE ALONG WITH WIRING AND COMPONENTS MOUNTED TO THE ACCESSORY GEARBOX WERE CONSUMED IN THE POST IMPACT FIRE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.