What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Retarded throttle to practice stall, engine quit. Unable restart. Fuel selector empty tank. Other had 16 gallons. (-23) on June 20, 1996, at 2001 central daylight time, Piper PA-28-151, N40954, was substantially damaged during a forced landing following an apparent engine failure. The pilot stated that during pre-flight inspection he noted "the fuel levels in both tanks were full to the bottom of the tab on the filler neck." This would indicate approximately 17 gallons in each tank. The pilot also stated that he had taken off on the left fuel tank and made a "normal" flight to bronte, Texas. He stated he had switched to the right fuel tank over lake Abilene and then back to the left tank over bronte. He then flew back toward elmdale airpark and did not switch tanks again. The pilot state he had flown approximately one hour and twenty minutes from takeoff to the accident site. Near portlock (private) airfield the pilot stated he initiated a power off stall. He raised the nose, applied carburetor heat and pulled the throttle to idle. The engine stopped running and the pilot attempted a re-start. The pilot stated he did not switch to the right tank during the attempted restart. When the pilot decided that he could not re-start the engine he called in a mayday to Abilene, ATC and made a dead stick landing at portlock airfield (TX02). Investigation of the crash site revealed the following: a. the left main gear oleo strut failed on touchdown. B. the left wing struck a pile of concrete debris and separated at the forward and aft attach fittings of the fuselage. C. the aircraft spun approximately 160 degrees to the left and came to rest approximately 100 feet from the touchdown point. The pilot and passenger suffered no reported injuries. Inspection of the aircraft revealed less than one gallon of fuel in the damaged left tank and approximately 16 gallons of fuel in the right tank. The aircraft was lifted at the site, the fuel selector was switched to the right tank and the engine started and ran normally. The owner of the airfield (TX02) had placed the piles of concrete debris (approximately 4 feet tall each) at over 30 locations around the airfield. The reason for the debris is unknown. Action is being taken to provide NOTAM information about the airfield.
As the FAA filed it
RETARDED THROTTLE TO PRACTICE STALL, ENGINE QUIT. UNABLE RESTART. FUEL SELECTOR EMPTY TANK. OTHER HAD 16 GALLONS. (-23) ON JUNE 20, 1996, AT 2001 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, PIPER PA-28-151, N40954, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED DURING A FORCED LANDING FOLLOWING AN APPARENT ENGINE FAILURE. THE PILOT STATED THAT DURING PRE-FLIGHT INSPECTION HE NOTED "THE FUEL LEVELS IN BOTH TANKS WERE FULL TO THE BOTTOM OF THE TAB ON THE FILLER NECK." THIS WOULD INDICATE APPROXIMATELY 17 GALLONS IN EACH TANK. THE PILOT ALSO STATED THAT HE HAD TAKEN OFF ON THE LEFT FUEL TANK AND MADE A "NORMAL" FLIGHT TO BRONTE, TEXAS. HE STATED HE HAD SWITCHED TO THE RIGHT FUEL TANK OVER LAKE ABILENE AND THEN BACK TO THE LEFT TANK OVER BRONTE. HE THEN FLEW BACK TOWARD ELMDALE AIRPARK AND DID NOT SWITCH TANKS AGAIN. THE PILOT STATE HE HAD FLOWN APPROXIMATELY ONE HOUR AND TWENTY MINUTES FROM TAKEOFF TO THE ACCIDENT SITE. NEAR PORTLOCK (PRIVATE) AIRFIELD THE PILOT STATED HE INITIATED A POWER OFF STALL. HE RAISED THE NOSE, APPLIED CARBURETOR HEAT AND PULLED THE THROTTLE TO IDLE. THE ENGINE STOPPED RUNNING AND THE PILOT ATTEMPTED A RE-START. THE PILOT STATED HE DID NOT SWITCH TO THE RIGHT TANK DURING THE ATTEMPTED RESTART. WHEN THE PILOT DECIDED THAT HE COULD NOT RE-START THE ENGINE HE CALLED IN A MAYDAY TO ABILENE, ATC AND MADE A DEAD STICK LANDING AT PORTLOCK AIRFIELD (TX02). INVESTIGATION OF THE CRASH SITE REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: A. THE LEFT MAIN GEAR OLEO STRUT FAILED ON TOUCHDOWN. B. THE LEFT WING STRUCK A PILE OF CONCRETE DEBRIS AND SEPARATED AT THE FORWARD AND AFT ATTACH FITTINGS OF THE FUSELAGE. C. THE AIRCRAFT SPUN APPROXIMATELY 160 DEGREES TO THE LEFT AND CAME TO REST APPROXIMATELY 100 FEET FROM THE TOUCHDOWN POINT. THE PILOT AND PASSENGER SUFFERED NO REPORTED INJURIES. INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT REVEALED LESS THAN ONE GALLON OF FUEL IN THE DAMAGED LEFT TANK AND APPROXIMATELY 16 GALLONS OF FUEL IN THE RIGHT TANK. THE AIRCRAFT WAS LIFTED AT THE SITE, THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS SWITCHED TO THE RIGHT TANK AND THE ENGINE STARTED AND RAN NORMALLY. THE OWNER OF THE AIRFIELD (TX02) HAD PLACED THE PILES OF CONCRETE DEBRIS (APPROXIMATELY 4 FEET TALL EACH) AT OVER 30 LOCATIONS AROUND THE AIRFIELD. THE REASON FOR THE DEBRIS IS UNKNOWN. ACTION IS BEING TAKEN TO PROVIDE NOTAM INFORMATION ABOUT THE AIRFIELD.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.