The private pilot stated that he was on a Title 14, Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal cross-country flight, and was attempting to land at a remote off-airport site adjacent to a creek. He said in a written statement to the NTSB that he flew over the site to inspect it prior to landing. He said he was on final approach to land when the airplane started to sink, landed hard, and he aborted the landing by applying power to takeoff. The next thing he says he recalls is waking up in the creek near the landing site. The pilot noted in his written statement that there were no preaccident mechanical problems with the airplane, and thought he had encountered a downdraft. In a later conversation with the NTSB investigator in charge on October 15, he indicated friends who recovered the airplane saw glass fragments from the left wing's navigation lights on the runway, perhaps indicating the left main landing gear had collapsed on touchdown. The pilot said he had no recollection of this occurring, but said it was possible. The airplane was further damaged when it was dropped from a helicopter during the recovery flight. Due to its remote location, the NTSB did not inspect the wreckage.