What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Aircraft engine quit and pilot made emergency landing, rolled over several times. (.4)inadequate preflight by the pilot, which resulted in fuel starvation, due to an improper fuel tank selector position. A factor relating to the accident was: the pilot's improper inflight planning/decision, which resulted in his delay or inability to flare the airplane during the emergency landing. (-23) aircraft departed 18 from a put strip s. of Alanson mi. Witnesses saw the aircraft make a left turn & headed north. The aircraft returned on a southerly hdg on downwind for 36. The power came back and the aircraft turned towards the runway approach end of 36, in a steep descent. The nose came up slightly and back down, hitting a pine tree east of the runway and then striking the ground.
As the FAA filed it
AIRCRAFT ENGINE QUIT AND PILOT MADE EMERGENCY LANDING, ROLLED OVER SEVERAL TIMES. (.4)INADEQUATE PREFLIGHT BY THE PILOT, WHICH RESULTED IN FUEL STARVATION, DUE TO AN IMPROPER FUEL TANK SELECTOR POSITION. A FACTOR RELATING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS: THE PILOT'S IMPROPER INFLIGHT PLANNING/DECISION, WHICH RESULTED IN HIS DELAY OR INABILITY TO FLARE THE AIRPLANE DURING THE EMERGENCY LANDING. (-23) AIRCRAFT DEPARTED 18 FROM A PUT STRIP S. OF ALANSON MI. WITNESSES SAW THE AIRCRAFT MAKE A LEFT TURN & HEADED NORTH. THE AIRCRAFT RETURNED ON A SOUTHERLY HDG ON DOWNWIND FOR 36. THE POWER CAME BACK AND THE AIRCRAFT TURNED TOWARDS THE RUNWAY APPROACH END OF 36, IN A STEEP DESCENT. THE NOSE CAME UP SLIGHTLY AND BACK DOWN, HITTING A PINE TREE EAST OF THE RUNWAY AND THEN STRIKING THE GROUND.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.