What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-16) Pilot took reasonable precautions during preflight phase to familiarize himself with aircraft systems and characteristics. Pilot took reasonable care in verifying adequacy of fuel quantity before takeoff using fuel stick and sight guage tube, though aircraft was not topped off for this flight. Unbeknownst to builder and pilot this particular aircraft appeared to be susceptible to a diminishing of adequate fuel pressure to carburetor during the time of this accident. Contributing to this condition would be low fuel volume, lack of an engine-driven fuel pump, unknown output of the owner-installed electric boost pump, lack of adequate gravity feed from tank to the owner-installed electric boost pump, lack of adequate gravity feed from tank to the carburetor when considering the long run of the fuel line to the rear cockpit and forward to the engine, and the possible presence of fuel contamination from the bottom of the tank, which was not furnished with a sediment drain. Pilot had performed previous test flight in this aircraft and used same procedure for this takeoff. When engine failed pilot appeared to do a good job of executing forced landing within airport boundary, considering hostile terrain surrounding.
As the FAA filed it
(-16) PILOT TOOK REASONABLE PRECAUTIONS DURING PREFLIGHT PHASE TO FAMILIARIZE HIMSELF WITH AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS AND CHARACTERISTICS. PILOT TOOK REASONABLE CARE IN VERIFYING ADEQUACY OF FUEL QUANTITY BEFORE TAKEOFF USING FUEL STICK AND SIGHT GUAGE TUBE, THOUGH AIRCRAFT WAS NOT TOPPED OFF FOR THIS FLIGHT. UNBEKNOWNST TO BUILDER AND PILOT THIS PARTICULAR AIRCRAFT APPEARED TO BE SUSCEPTIBLE TO A DIMINISHING OF ADEQUATE FUEL PRESSURE TO CARBURETOR DURING THE TIME OF THIS ACCIDENT. CONTRIBUTING TO THIS CONDITION WOULD BE LOW FUEL VOLUME, LACK OF AN ENGINE-DRIVEN FUEL PUMP, UNKNOWN OUTPUT OF THE OWNER-INSTALLED ELECTRIC BOOST PUMP, LACK OF ADEQUATE GRAVITY FEED FROM TANK TO THE OWNER-INSTALLED ELECTRIC BOOST PUMP, LACK OF ADEQUATE GRAVITY FEED FROM TANK TO THE CARBURETOR WHEN CONSIDERING THE LONG RUN OF THE FUEL LINE TO THE REAR COCKPIT AND FORWARD TO THE ENGINE, AND THE POSSIBLE PRESENCE OF FUEL CONTAMINATION FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE TANK, WHICH WAS NOT FURNISHED WITH A SEDIMENT DRAIN. PILOT HAD PERFORMED PREVIOUS TEST FLIGHT IN THIS AIRCRAFT AND USED SAME PROCEDURE FOR THIS TAKEOFF. WHEN ENGINE FAILED PILOT APPEARED TO DO A GOOD JOB OF EXECUTING FORCED LANDING WITHIN AIRPORT BOUNDARY, CONSIDERING HOSTILE TERRAIN SURROUNDING.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.