What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Pilot statement: day before accident engine was cutting out and then restarting repeatedly; on ground mechanic stated it likely was vapor locking and to test fly it in the morning. Next morning ground runs were all good. Took off and at about 50 feet engine started to die and restart repeatedly. No good landing options ahead so with engine running pilot turned back to airport. Was going to land at too fast a speed about 2/3 of the way down the runway (11) and engine cut out again. Bean field didn't look like an option so turned left and paralleled runway (engine on-off throughout this sequence) turned to put down on the runway and wing clipped edge of runway and control was lost.
Inspected and took pictures of the damage. Found left wing damage across the cord including front and rear spar half way in between the wing tip and fuselage. Right wing had damage near the wing tip looked to include the wing spar. Front nose gear was collapsed, right main gear appeared to be bent but did not collapse. Propeller was damaged from hitting the ground along with some damage to the engine cowl. The belly aft of the nose gear had sustained some damage. Simm cards were removed from the GTN650 and the G3X.
I did speak with the local A&P mechanic he stated that the pilot did ask some questions about the rough running engine but was not asked to do anything to look into the issue.
As the FAA filed it
PILOT STATEMENT: DAY BEFORE ACCIDENT ENGINE WAS CUTTING OUT AND THEN RESTARTING REPEATEDLY; ON GROUND MECHANIC STATED IT LIKELY WAS VAPOR LOCKING AND TO TEST FLY IT IN THE MORNING. NEXT MORNING GROUND RUNS WERE ALL GOOD. TOOK OFF AND AT ABOUT 50 FEET ENGINE STARTED TO DIE AND RESTART REPEATEDLY. NO GOOD LANDING OPTIONS AHEAD SO WITH ENGINE RUNNING PILOT TURNED BACK TO AIRPORT. WAS GOING TO LAND AT TOO FAST A SPEED ABOUT 2/3 OF THE WAY DOWN THE RUNWAY (11) AND ENGINE CUT OUT AGAIN. BEAN FIELD DIDN'T LOOK LIKE AN OPTION SO TURNED LEFT AND PARALLELED RUNWAY (ENGINE ON-OFF THROUGHOUT THIS SEQUENCE) TURNED TO PUT DOWN ON THE RUNWAY AND WING CLIPPED EDGE OF RUNWAY AND CONTROL WAS LOST.
INSPECTED AND TOOK PICTURES OF THE DAMAGE. FOUND LEFT WING DAMAGE ACROSS THE CORD INCLUDING FRONT AND REAR SPAR HALF WAY IN BETWEEN THE WING TIP AND FUSELAGE. RIGHT WING HAD DAMAGE NEAR THE WING TIP LOOKED TO INCLUDE THE WING SPAR. FRONT NOSE GEAR WAS COLLAPSED, RIGHT MAIN GEAR APPEARED TO BE BENT BUT DID NOT COLLAPSE. PROPELLER WAS DAMAGED FROM HITTING THE GROUND ALONG WITH SOME DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE COWL. THE BELLY AFT OF THE NOSE GEAR HAD SUSTAINED SOME DAMAGE. SIMM CARDS WERE REMOVED FROM THE GTN650 AND THE G3X.
I DID SPEAK WITH THE LOCAL A&P MECHANIC HE STATED THAT THE PILOT DID ASK SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT THE ROUGH RUNNING ENGINE BUT WAS NOT ASKED TO DO ANYTHING TO LOOK INTO THE ISSUE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.