What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 04/14/2026 at approximatly 0417, while finishing up a cross country flight, near Payton Colorado pilots experienced a loss of engine power from around 5000RPMS to about 2700RPMS. An increase in throttle was added with no increase in RPM. Pilot stated they had sufficient fuel (2GALLONS) so couldn’t be a fuel starvation. Fuel flow was over 3. The RPM continued to drop to around 1500. The oil pressure red lined and went to zero within seconds. The engine shutoff a second later. Pilot squawked 7700, pilot reached out on 124.0 and declared an emergency to ATC, pilots landed. The landing started out smooth, the airplane went airborne again, hit a hill really hard and pilot thought the landing gear must have collapsed. The airplane went airborne again and then settled to a stop.
As the FAA filed it
ON 04/14/2026 AT APPROXIMATLY 0417, WHILE FINISHING UP A CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT, NEAR PAYTON COLORADO PILOTS EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER FROM AROUND 5000RPMS TO ABOUT 2700RPMS. AN INCREASE IN THROTTLE WAS ADDED WITH NO INCREASE IN RPM. PILOT STATED THEY HAD SUFFICIENT FUEL (2GALLONS) SO COULDN’T BE A FUEL STARVATION. FUEL FLOW WAS OVER 3. THE RPM CONTINUED TO DROP TO AROUND 1500. THE OIL PRESSURE RED LINED AND WENT TO ZERO WITHIN SECONDS. THE ENGINE SHUTOFF A SECOND LATER. PILOT SQUAWKED 7700, PILOT REACHED OUT ON 124.0 AND DECLARED AN EMERGENCY TO ATC, PILOTS LANDED. THE LANDING STARTED OUT SMOOTH, THE AIRPLANE WENT AIRBORNE AGAIN, HIT A HILL REALLY HARD AND PILOT THOUGHT THE LANDING GEAR MUST HAVE COLLAPSED. THE AIRPLANE WENT AIRBORNE AGAIN AND THEN SETTLED TO A STOP.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.