Accident Sequence
According to the pilot, he was circling the passenger's house at an altitude of about 800 feet when he attempted to add power, but the engine did not respond. He was unable to restart the engine and initiated a forced landing to the 1,300-foot airstrip located in the passenger's field.
The passenger reported that the pilot attempted a forced wheel-landing. The aircraft crossed the runway threshold at a speed between 70 and 80 miles per hour and momentarily touched down on the main gear approximately 200 feet down the runway. The aircraft then bounced about 30 feet into the air and came down hard on the main gear about halfway down the runway, collapsing the main landing gear.
Pilot and Passenger Statements
The pilot stated that he always makes full-stall landings in the Stinson and does not feel proficient at wheel-landings. The passenger provided an account consistent with the pilot's description of the forced landing attempt.
Post-Accident Examination
Examination of the wreckage and the engine did not reveal any precrash discrepancies.