What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Aircraft landed approximately 9 miles nw of airport, on a gravel rooad. Due to engine failure. (-4)although the pilot had accumulated 2,400 hours flight time in the type of airplane involved in this accident, he stated that he had never flown one with the fuel management system this one had. He stated that he did not read the flight manual. Because he had previously noted uneven fuel flow from the tanks, he did not think it unusual that the low fuel warning light on the left tank came on therefore he elected to continue flight. About fifteen minutes later the engine lost power and necessitated a forced landing. There was a handle in this airplane marked 'overflow fuel valve - pull.' The manual indicates that this valve is intended to prevent engine failure in flight, by equalizing the fuel between left and right fuel tanks. The pilot said he thought it was some sort of dump valve and made no attempt to use it. Other operators of this type of airplane stated that they had experienced fuel vent problems when they imported and assembled the airplane. This airplane had operated 1.7 hours prior to the accident flight and then operated 2.5 hours prior to the power loss.
As the FAA filed it
AIRCRAFT LANDED APPROXIMATELY 9 MILES NW OF AIRPORT, ON A GRAVEL ROOAD. DUE TO ENGINE FAILURE. (-4)ALTHOUGH THE PILOT HAD ACCUMULATED 2,400 HOURS FLIGHT TIME IN THE TYPE OF AIRPLANE INVOLVED IN THIS ACCIDENT, HE STATED THAT HE HAD NEVER FLOWN ONE WITH THE FUEL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM THIS ONE HAD. HE STATED THAT HE DID NOT READ THE FLIGHT MANUAL. BECAUSE HE HAD PREVIOUSLY NOTED UNEVEN FUEL FLOW FROM THE TANKS, HE DID NOT THINK IT UNUSUAL THAT THE LOW FUEL WARNING LIGHT ON THE LEFT TANK CAME ON THEREFORE HE ELECTED TO CONTINUE FLIGHT. ABOUT FIFTEEN MINUTES LATER THE ENGINE LOST POWER AND NECESSITATED A FORCED LANDING. THERE WAS A HANDLE IN THIS AIRPLANE MARKED 'OVERFLOW FUEL VALVE - PULL.' THE MANUAL INDICATES THAT THIS VALVE IS INTENDED TO PREVENT ENGINE FAILURE IN FLIGHT, BY EQUALIZING THE FUEL BETWEEN LEFT AND RIGHT FUEL TANKS. THE PILOT SAID HE THOUGHT IT WAS SOME SORT OF DUMP VALVE AND MADE NO ATTEMPT TO USE IT. OTHER OPERATORS OF THIS TYPE OF AIRPLANE STATED THAT THEY HAD EXPERIENCED FUEL VENT PROBLEMS WHEN THEY IMPORTED AND ASSEMBLED THE AIRPLANE. THIS AIRPLANE HAD OPERATED 1.7 HOURS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT AND THEN OPERATED 2.5 HOURS PRIOR TO THE POWER LOSS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.