Event DEN07CA085

Factual narrative

According to the accident report, submitted by the pilot, he was en route to Fargo, North Dakota, on April 7, when the weather began to deteriorate. The pilot elected to perform a forced landing to a field. The forced landing was uneventful. On April 8, the pilot attempted to depart from a nearby dirt field, utilizing FAA recommended soft field takeoff procedures. The airplane became airborne, the pilot gently lowered the nose to gain airspeed, and the airplane settled back to the ground. All three landing gear collapsed. The propeller was curled aft at both tips and the belly of the fuselage was crushed up and wrinkled. Both keels on each side of the nose wheel were bent and the bulkheads within the nose basket buckled. The pilot did not report any systems issues. An examination of the airplane systems revealed no anomalies. According to the pilot, he attempted to depart from a dirt field, utilizing recommended soft field takeoff procedures. The airplane became airborne, the pilot gently lowered the nose to gain airspeed, and the airplane settled back to the ground, resulting in substantial damage. An examination of the airplane systems revealed no anomalies. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12