What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Pilot decided to stop at Brookville arpt due to unusual fuel burn rate, impacted two trees after cartwheeling. (-23) no narrative (.19) on February 21, 1998, about 2340 eastern standard time, a Grumman American AA-5, N5625L, was destroyed when it collided with trees during a forced landing at the Brookville air-park airport (I62), Brookville, Ohio. The certificated private pilot and one passenger were not injured. A second passenger received minor injuries, and a third passenger was seriously injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight that departed the sylvania airport, sturtevant, Wisconsin, about 1955, destined for new lebanon, Ohio. No flight plan was filed for the personal flight conducted under 14 CFR part 91. According to a federal aviation administration (FAA) inspector, the flight departed sturtevant with approximately 30 gallons of fuel for the night cross country flight. The flight was conducted no higher than 3,500 feet mean sea level. While en route, the pilot estimated that there was a high rate of fuel burn, and with low fuel, he elected to dive rt to I62 to refuel. The pilot made an approach to runway 9, and elected to go-around with full flaps, making a 270 degree turn to come back for an approach to runway 27. Upon completion of the 270 degree turn, and heading to runway 27 with full flaps, the engine lost total power. The pilot performed a forced landing during which the airplane impacted trees and came to rest short of runway 27. Examination of the wreckage by the FAA inspector revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane. There was approximately a 1 gallon fuel spill in the vicinity of the ruptured fuel tanks. About 2 tablespoons of fuel were removed from the carburetor inlet fuel line, and no fuel was observed in the fuel tanks. The airplane had been aloft for about 3 hours and 45 minutes, and according to the cruise and range performance chart, for an altitude of 2,500 feet and 76 percent power, there was a fuel burn rate of 8.9 gallons per hour. Additional notes included in the chart were "range and endurance data include allowance for take-off and climb. No fuel reserve is included. Fuel consumption is for level flight with mixture leaned....continuous operations at powers about 75 percent should be with full rich mixture."
As the FAA filed it
PILOT DECIDED TO STOP AT BROOKVILLE ARPT DUE TO UNUSUAL FUEL BURN RATE, IMPACTED TWO TREES AFTER CARTWHEELING. (-23) NO NARRATIVE (.19) ON FEBRUARY 21, 1998, ABOUT 2340 EASTERN STANDARD TIME, A GRUMMAN AMERICAN AA-5, N5625L, WAS DESTROYED WHEN IT COLLIDED WITH TREES DURING A FORCED LANDING AT THE BROOKVILLE AIR-PARK AIRPORT (I62), BROOKVILLE, OHIO. THE CERTIFICATED PRIVATE PILOT AND ONE PASSENGER WERE NOT INJURED. A SECOND PASSENGER RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES, AND A THIRD PASSENGER WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE FLIGHT THAT DEPARTED THE SYLVANIA AIRPORT, STURTEVANT, WISCONSIN, ABOUT 1955, DESTINED FOR NEW LEBANON, OHIO. NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE PERSONAL FLIGHT CONDUCTED UNDER 14 CFR PART 91. ACCORDING TO A FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION (FAA) INSPECTOR, THE FLIGHT DEPARTED STURTEVANT WITH APPROXIMATELY 30 GALLONS OF FUEL FOR THE NIGHT CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT. THE FLIGHT WAS CONDUCTED NO HIGHER THAN 3,500 FEET MEAN SEA LEVEL. WHILE EN ROUTE, THE PILOT ESTIMATED THAT THERE WAS A HIGH RATE OF FUEL BURN, AND WITH LOW FUEL, HE ELECTED TO DIVE RT TO I62 TO REFUEL. THE PILOT MADE AN APPROACH TO RUNWAY 9, AND ELECTED TO GO-AROUND WITH FULL FLAPS, MAKING A 270 DEGREE TURN TO COME BACK FOR AN APPROACH TO RUNWAY 27. UPON COMPLETION OF THE 270 DEGREE TURN, AND HEADING TO RUNWAY 27 WITH FULL FLAPS, THE ENGINE LOST TOTAL POWER. THE PILOT PERFORMED A FORCED LANDING DURING WHICH THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED TREES AND CAME TO REST SHORT OF RUNWAY 27. EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE BY THE FAA INSPECTOR REVEALED NO EVIDENCE OF MECHANICAL MALFUNCTIONS OR FAILURES WITH THE AIRPLANE. THERE WAS APPROXIMATELY A 1 GALLON FUEL SPILL IN THE VICINITY OF THE RUPTURED FUEL TANKS. ABOUT 2 TABLESPOONS OF FUEL WERE REMOVED FROM THE CARBURETOR INLET FUEL LINE, AND NO FUEL WAS OBSERVED IN THE FUEL TANKS. THE AIRPLANE HAD BEEN ALOFT FOR ABOUT 3 HOURS AND 45 MINUTES, AND ACCORDING TO THE CRUISE AND RANGE PERFORMANCE CHART, FOR AN ALTITUDE OF 2,500 FEET AND 76 PERCENT POWER, THERE WAS A FUEL BURN RATE OF 8.9 GALLONS PER HOUR. ADDITIONAL NOTES INCLUDED IN THE CHART WERE "RANGE AND ENDURANCE DATA INCLUDE ALLOWANCE FOR TAKE-OFF AND CLIMB. NO FUEL RESERVE IS INCLUDED. FUEL CONSUMPTION IS FOR LEVEL FLIGHT WITH MIXTURE LEANED....CONTINUOUS OPERATIONS AT POWERS ABOUT 75 PERCENT SHOULD BE WITH FULL RICH MIXTURE."
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.