What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Aircraft was being vectored to amarillo, reported fuel exhaustion , emergency landing in a field, flipped over. (-23) on may 10, 1996, at 1256 central, Piper PA-28-140, N7426R, made a forced landing near Claude, Texas. The airplane was operated by a private pilot/owner under 14 CFR part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a flight plan was filed. The pilot and passenger suffered only minor injuries and were released from the hospital later in the afternoon on may 10. The aircraft sustained substantial damage. The flight originated in lufkin, Texas. In an interview with the faa/iic the pilot stated he had run one tank empty and switched to the other tank thinking it had five or six gallons; however, the engine quit. The aircraft landed in a plowed field breaking off the nose gear. The aircraft came to rest inverted. Inspection at the crash site revealed the fuel tanks were both empty.
As the FAA filed it
AIRCRAFT WAS BEING VECTORED TO AMARILLO, REPORTED FUEL EXHAUSTION , EMERGENCY LANDING IN A FIELD, FLIPPED OVER. (-23) ON MAY 10, 1996, AT 1256 CENTRAL, PIPER PA-28-140, N7426R, MADE A FORCED LANDING NEAR CLAUDE, TEXAS. THE AIRPLANE WAS OPERATED BY A PRIVATE PILOT/OWNER UNDER 14 CFR PART 91. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND A FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE PILOT AND PASSENGER SUFFERED ONLY MINOR INJURIES AND WERE RELEASED FROM THE HOSPITAL LATER IN THE AFTERNOON ON MAY 10. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED IN LUFKIN, TEXAS. IN AN INTERVIEW WITH THE FAA/IIC THE PILOT STATED HE HAD RUN ONE TANK EMPTY AND SWITCHED TO THE OTHER TANK THINKING IT HAD FIVE OR SIX GALLONS; HOWEVER, THE ENGINE QUIT. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED IN A PLOWED FIELD BREAKING OFF THE NOSE GEAR. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST INVERTED. INSPECTION AT THE CRASH SITE REVEALED THE FUEL TANKS WERE BOTH EMPTY.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.