What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Acft was attempting to land when it encountered IFR weather and ran out of fuel. Struck a tree. Springdale, AR. (-23) pilot departed siloam springs enroute to malvern, AR, for pax pickup, then return. He stated he planned a 30 min fuel reserve. Upon returning to siloam springs, he said he landed at malvern following a delay of confirming that he was at the right airport. He departed malvern around 10:50AM and flew north anticipating snow, which he did encounter north of the Arkansas river. He became disoriented and ultimately exhausted his fuel supply, resulting in an emergency crash landing with damage to the wings and prop. The right wing had spar damage. None of the three on board were injured. (.4)the pilot encountered snow and instrument meteorological conditions after departure from malvern, Arkansas. He became lost and elected to fly toward the Springdale airport, Springdale, Arkansas, using the razorback VORTAC. While diverting to Springdale, the pilot informed his passengers that the aircraft was going to 'run out of gas.' Approximately 2.5 miles north of the Springdale airport, the engine lost power. A forced landing was initiated, and during the landing roll, the aircraft went through a barbed wire fence and the right wing struck a tree. The amount of fuel onboard the aircraft prior to departing malvern was undetermined. Examination of the aircraft by the FAA inspector revealed no evidence of usable fuel in the fuel tanks. Repeated attempts to obtain a completed pilot/operator report, NTSB form 6120.1/2, were unsuccessful.
As the FAA filed it
ACFT WAS ATTEMPTING TO LAND WHEN IT ENCOUNTERED IFR WEATHER AND RAN OUT OF FUEL. STRUCK A TREE. SPRINGDALE, AR. (-23) PILOT DEPARTED SILOAM SPRINGS ENROUTE TO MALVERN, AR, FOR PAX PICKUP, THEN RETURN. HE STATED HE PLANNED A 30 MIN FUEL RESERVE. UPON RETURNING TO SILOAM SPRINGS, HE SAID HE LANDED AT MALVERN FOLLOWING A DELAY OF CONFIRMING THAT HE WAS AT THE RIGHT AIRPORT. HE DEPARTED MALVERN AROUND 10:50AM AND FLEW NORTH ANTICIPATING SNOW, WHICH HE DID ENCOUNTER NORTH OF THE ARKANSAS RIVER. HE BECAME DISORIENTED AND ULTIMATELY EXHAUSTED HIS FUEL SUPPLY, RESULTING IN AN EMERGENCY CRASH LANDING WITH DAMAGE TO THE WINGS AND PROP. THE RIGHT WING HAD SPAR DAMAGE. NONE OF THE THREE ON BOARD WERE INJURED. (.4)THE PILOT ENCOUNTERED SNOW AND INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS AFTER DEPARTURE FROM MALVERN, ARKANSAS. HE BECAME LOST AND ELECTED TO FLY TOWARD THE SPRINGDALE AIRPORT, SPRINGDALE, ARKANSAS, USING THE RAZORBACK VORTAC. WHILE DIVERTING TO SPRINGDALE, THE PILOT INFORMED HIS PASSENGERS THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS GOING TO 'RUN OUT OF GAS.' APPROXIMATELY 2.5 MILES NORTH OF THE SPRINGDALE AIRPORT, THE ENGINE LOST POWER. A FORCED LANDING WAS INITIATED, AND DURING THE LANDING ROLL, THE AIRCRAFT WENT THROUGH A BARBED WIRE FENCE AND THE RIGHT WING STRUCK A TREE. THE AMOUNT OF FUEL ONBOARD THE AIRCRAFT PRIOR TO DEPARTING MALVERN WAS UNDETERMINED. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT BY THE FAA INSPECTOR REVEALED NO EVIDENCE OF USABLE FUEL IN THE FUEL TANKS. REPEATED ATTEMPTS TO OBTAIN A COMPLETED PILOT/OPERATOR REPORT, NTSB FORM 6120.1/2, WERE UNSUCCESSFUL.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.