What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Aircraft departed akron fulton iap, oh enroute to addison airport, TX. Pilot stopped for fuel and to use the facilities a poplar bluff, MO. Pilot reported that the aircraft departed akron fulton iap, oh with full fuel tanks. The aircraft was serviced with 30 gallons of fuel in the right wing tank at poplar bluff, MO. The aircraft departed poplar bluff, MO enroute to addison airport, TX. The pilot deviated from course in north Texas to avoid thunderstorms southeast of mount pleasant, TX and west of texarkana, TX flying south toward longview, TX. The pilot was in radio contact with longview approach control and was given a radar vector northwest to mount pleasant, TX. Due to the thunderstorms close to mount pleasant, the pilot elected to attempt to find another closer airport. He was in the area of the lone star steel company private airport and asked for help from longview approach due to his low fuel situation. He informed longview approach that he had 15 to 20 minutes of fuel remaining. Longview approach gave him a vector to gregg county airport approximately 30 miles south of his position. The pilot decided to attempt to find the lone star airport due to his low fuel situation and asked for assistance from longview approach control. The pilot then informed longview approach control that his engine stopped running. Longview informed him of the direction of the airport and distance. The pilot requested the status of the runway lighting and was told that there were no lights turned on at the runway and that they were attempting to call and have the lights turned on. At the airport the pilot could not see the runway and executed a left hand turn. The aircraft impacted some trees approximately one mile south of the airport. After contact with the trees, the aircraft slid down to the ground with the fall slowed by the tree branches. The aircraft came to rest in an inverted position on the ground and sustained severe damage. The pilot was held in place in his seat by the lap belt and shoulder harness. The pilot sustained minor cuts and bruises. The emergency located transmitter activated and was picked up by rescue personnel. It was approximately five hours before the rescue workers could locate the aircraft and pilot.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) AIRCRAFT DEPARTED AKRON FULTON IAP, OH ENROUTE TO ADDISON AIRPORT, TX. PILOT STOPPED FOR FUEL AND TO USE THE FACILITIES A POPLAR BLUFF, MO. PILOT REPORTED THAT THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED AKRON FULTON IAP, OH WITH FULL FUEL TANKS. THE AIRCRAFT WAS SERVICED WITH 30 GALLONS OF FUEL IN THE RIGHT WING TANK AT POPLAR BLUFF, MO. THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED POPLAR BLUFF, MO ENROUTE TO ADDISON AIRPORT, TX. THE PILOT DEVIATED FROM COURSE IN NORTH TEXAS TO AVOID THUNDERSTORMS SOUTHEAST OF MOUNT PLEASANT, TX AND WEST OF TEXARKANA, TX FLYING SOUTH TOWARD LONGVIEW, TX. THE PILOT WAS IN RADIO CONTACT WITH LONGVIEW APPROACH CONTROL AND WAS GIVEN A RADAR VECTOR NORTHWEST TO MOUNT PLEASANT, TX. DUE TO THE THUNDERSTORMS CLOSE TO MOUNT PLEASANT, THE PILOT ELECTED TO ATTEMPT TO FIND ANOTHER CLOSER AIRPORT. HE WAS IN THE AREA OF THE LONE STAR STEEL COMPANY PRIVATE AIRPORT AND ASKED FOR HELP FROM LONGVIEW APPROACH DUE TO HIS LOW FUEL SITUATION. HE INFORMED LONGVIEW APPROACH THAT HE HAD 15 TO 20 MINUTES OF FUEL REMAINING. LONGVIEW APPROACH GAVE HIM A VECTOR TO GREGG COUNTY AIRPORT APPROXIMATELY 30 MILES SOUTH OF HIS POSITION. THE PILOT DECIDED TO ATTEMPT TO FIND THE LONE STAR AIRPORT DUE TO HIS LOW FUEL SITUATION AND ASKED FOR ASSISTANCE FROM LONGVIEW APPROACH CONTROL. THE PILOT THEN INFORMED LONGVIEW APPROACH CONTROL THAT HIS ENGINE STOPPED RUNNING. LONGVIEW INFORMED HIM OF THE DIRECTION OF THE AIRPORT AND DISTANCE. THE PILOT REQUESTED THE STATUS OF THE RUNWAY LIGHTING AND WAS TOLD THAT THERE WERE NO LIGHTS TURNED ON AT THE RUNWAY AND THAT THEY WERE ATTEMPTING TO CALL AND HAVE THE LIGHTS TURNED ON. AT THE AIRPORT THE PILOT COULD NOT SEE THE RUNWAY AND EXECUTED A LEFT HAND TURN. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED SOME TREES APPROXIMATELY ONE MILE SOUTH OF THE AIRPORT. AFTER CONTACT WITH THE TREES, THE AIRCRAFT SLID DOWN TO THE GROUND WITH THE FALL SLOWED BY THE TREE BRANCHES. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST IN AN INVERTED POSITION ON THE GROUND AND SUSTAINED SEVERE DAMAGE. THE PILOT WAS HELD IN PLACE IN HIS SEAT BY THE LAP BELT AND SHOULDER HARNESS. THE PILOT SUSTAINED MINOR CUTS AND BRUISES. THE EMERGENCY LOCATED TRANSMITTER ACTIVATED AND WAS PICKED UP BY RESCUE PERSONNEL. IT WAS APPROXIMATELY FIVE HOURS BEFORE THE RESCUE WORKERS COULD LOCATE THE AIRCRAFT AND PILOT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.