What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Aircraft struck power lines and crashed. (.4)according to an FAA inspector, witnesses reported the airplane was experiencing 'engine problems.' During an emergency landing, the airplane struck power lines and a fence. The fuel system of the accident airplane was configured so that the engine fed only from the center fuel tank. The right and left wing fuel tanks store fuel until the pilot transfers it into the center tank. Both the right and left fuel tanks have a transfer pump. To transfer fuel, the pilot turns on the transfer pump, and opens the fuel valve to allow fuel to flow from the left or/and right tank to the center tank. Once the fuel is in the center tank, the valve is closed and the pumps turned off. If the valve is left opened, the pumps must be left running to prevent the fuel from draining back into the wing tanks. During an on-scene investigation, the switches for both of the transfer pumps were found in the 'on' position; however, the fuel valve was found in the closed position. The fuel quantity gauges indicated the center tank was empty, the left wing tank was 3/4 full, and the right wing tank was 1/2 full. (-23) on July 25, 1996, at 09:30 CDT, a kraft Airmaster home built airplane, N222Y owned and operated by a private pilot was substantially damaged near Katy, TX. The private pilot and passenger were fatally injured. The flight originated from the west houston airport approximately 45 minutes prior to the accident. Witnesses reported the airplane was experiencing "engine problems." During an emergency landing, the airplane struck power lines and came to rest in a ditch. Investigation at the scene indicateds that the fuel selector valve was in the off posiition, isolating the center tank from the rest of the fuel supply in the wings. Engine is supplied fuel from the center tank, the center tank is supplied by transfer pumps in each wing tank through a shut off valve. Upon depletion of fuel in the center tank the engine quit. All three fuel tanks of the aircraft were destroyed in the accident and there is no way of telling if or how much fuel was on board, except that the fuel quantity gauges indicated that left tank at 1/2, the right tank at 3/4 and the center at empty. The fire department said that there was a strong smell of fuel when they arrived.
As the FAA filed it
AIRCRAFT STRUCK POWER LINES AND CRASHED. (.4)ACCORDING TO AN FAA INSPECTOR, WITNESSES REPORTED THE AIRPLANE WAS EXPERIENCING 'ENGINE PROBLEMS.' DURING AN EMERGENCY LANDING, THE AIRPLANE STRUCK POWER LINES AND A FENCE. THE FUEL SYSTEM OF THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE WAS CONFIGURED SO THAT THE ENGINE FED ONLY FROM THE CENTER FUEL TANK. THE RIGHT AND LEFT WING FUEL TANKS STORE FUEL UNTIL THE PILOT TRANSFERS IT INTO THE CENTER TANK. BOTH THE RIGHT AND LEFT FUEL TANKS HAVE A TRANSFER PUMP. TO TRANSFER FUEL, THE PILOT TURNS ON THE TRANSFER PUMP, AND OPENS THE FUEL VALVE TO ALLOW FUEL TO FLOW FROM THE LEFT OR/AND RIGHT TANK TO THE CENTER TANK. ONCE THE FUEL IS IN THE CENTER TANK, THE VALVE IS CLOSED AND THE PUMPS TURNED OFF. IF THE VALVE IS LEFT OPENED, THE PUMPS MUST BE LEFT RUNNING TO PREVENT THE FUEL FROM DRAINING BACK INTO THE WING TANKS. DURING AN ON-SCENE INVESTIGATION, THE SWITCHES FOR BOTH OF THE TRANSFER PUMPS WERE FOUND IN THE 'ON' POSITION; HOWEVER, THE FUEL VALVE WAS FOUND IN THE CLOSED POSITION. THE FUEL QUANTITY GAUGES INDICATED THE CENTER TANK WAS EMPTY, THE LEFT WING TANK WAS 3/4 FULL, AND THE RIGHT WING TANK WAS 1/2 FULL. (-23) ON JULY 25, 1996, AT 09:30 CDT, A KRAFT AIRMASTER HOME BUILT AIRPLANE, N222Y OWNED AND OPERATED BY A PRIVATE PILOT WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED NEAR KATY, TX. THE PRIVATE PILOT AND PASSENGER WERE FATALLY INJURED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM THE WEST HOUSTON AIRPORT APPROXIMATELY 45 MINUTES PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. WITNESSES REPORTED THE AIRPLANE WAS EXPERIENCING "ENGINE PROBLEMS." DURING AN EMERGENCY LANDING, THE AIRPLANE STRUCK POWER LINES AND CAME TO REST IN A DITCH. INVESTIGATION AT THE SCENE INDICATEDS THAT THE FUEL SELECTOR VALVE WAS IN THE OFF POSIITION, ISOLATING THE CENTER TANK FROM THE REST OF THE FUEL SUPPLY IN THE WINGS. ENGINE IS SUPPLIED FUEL FROM THE CENTER TANK, THE CENTER TANK IS SUPPLIED BY TRANSFER PUMPS IN EACH WING TANK THROUGH A SHUT OFF VALVE. UPON DEPLETION OF FUEL IN THE CENTER TANK THE ENGINE QUIT. ALL THREE FUEL TANKS OF THE AIRCRAFT WERE DESTROYED IN THE ACCIDENT AND THERE IS NO WAY OF TELLING IF OR HOW MUCH FUEL WAS ON BOARD, EXCEPT THAT THE FUEL QUANTITY GAUGES INDICATED THAT LEFT TANK AT 1/2, THE RIGHT TANK AT 3/4 AND THE CENTER AT EMPTY. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT SAID THAT THERE WAS A STRONG SMELL OF FUEL WHEN THEY ARRIVED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.