What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Pilot smelled fuel and lost engine power, oil pressure. Landed in a bean field. (.4)the pilot stated the airplane was topped off with fuel on the day before the flight. He reported that one hour into the flight, the engine ran rough, and the fuel flow dropped to 4 gph. He switched fuel tanks, enriched the mixture, and turned on the boost pump, which resulted in a momentary increase in fuel pressure. The fuel pressure then dropped again, and a forced landing was made. The forced landing was in a field which the pilot described as being uphill. The nose gear separated from the airplane during the landing. Inspection of the airplane revealed the left fuel tank was empty, and the right fuel tank was 1/2 to 3/4 full. The fuel selector was positioned on the left tank. No discrepancies were noted with the engine or fuel system which would have resulted in the loss of power.
As the FAA filed it
PILOT SMELLED FUEL AND LOST ENGINE POWER, OIL PRESSURE. LANDED IN A BEAN FIELD. (.4)THE PILOT STATED THE AIRPLANE WAS TOPPED OFF WITH FUEL ON THE DAY BEFORE THE FLIGHT. HE REPORTED THAT ONE HOUR INTO THE FLIGHT, THE ENGINE RAN ROUGH, AND THE FUEL FLOW DROPPED TO 4 GPH. HE SWITCHED FUEL TANKS, ENRICHED THE MIXTURE, AND TURNED ON THE BOOST PUMP, WHICH RESULTED IN A MOMENTARY INCREASE IN FUEL PRESSURE. THE FUEL PRESSURE THEN DROPPED AGAIN, AND A FORCED LANDING WAS MADE. THE FORCED LANDING WAS IN A FIELD WHICH THE PILOT DESCRIBED AS BEING UPHILL. THE NOSE GEAR SEPARATED FROM THE AIRPLANE DURING THE LANDING. INSPECTION OF THE AIRPLANE REVEALED THE LEFT FUEL TANK WAS EMPTY, AND THE RIGHT FUEL TANK WAS 1/2 TO 3/4 FULL. THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS POSITIONED ON THE LEFT TANK. NO DISCREPANCIES WERE NOTED WITH THE ENGINE OR FUEL SYSTEM WHICH WOULD HAVE RESULTED IN THE LOSS OF POWER.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.