What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Acft made forced landing in trees, engine problems, while on approach to rwy 33, sustained substanstial damage. (-23)pilot and passenger (wife) were on a non stop flight from Florida to Chesterfield, Virginia. During landing at Chesterfield airport, a witness stated that he heard on his aircraft radio that "4543K lost engine." The aircraft crashed in a very densely tree growth area approximately 1.5 miles south of Chesterfield airport. Investigation found no fuel in the fuel tanks. Notes found in the aircraft taken by the passenger indicated total flight time on the left fuel tank on that trip was 2:56 hours, and flight time on the right fuel tank to the time of the accident was approximately 3:00 hours. (.4)the airplane departed on a cross-country flight with an undetermined amount of fuel and flew approximately 4 hours and 15 minutes before it experienced a loss of engine power. The airplane crashed in a wooded area approximately 2 miles from the destination airport during the subsequent forced landing. According to a state police officer the passenger stated they '...ran out of fuel and crashed.' Examination of the aircraft wreckage reveale d that both wing tanks contained no fuel, and the fuel line to flow divider contained only about a sponnful of fuel. The engine ran to rated power in a test cell after the accident. During the test, the engine driven fuel pump exhibites high pressure and flow rates at full power.
As the FAA filed it
ACFT MADE FORCED LANDING IN TREES, ENGINE PROBLEMS, WHILE ON APPROACH TO RWY 33, SUSTAINED SUBSTANSTIAL DAMAGE. (-23)PILOT AND PASSENGER (WIFE) WERE ON A NON STOP FLIGHT FROM FLORIDA TO CHESTERFIELD, VIRGINIA. DURING LANDING AT CHESTERFIELD AIRPORT, A WITNESS STATED THAT HE HEARD ON HIS AIRCRAFT RADIO THAT "4543K LOST ENGINE." THE AIRCRAFT CRASHED IN A VERY DENSELY TREE GROWTH AREA APPROXIMATELY 1.5 MILES SOUTH OF CHESTERFIELD AIRPORT. INVESTIGATION FOUND NO FUEL IN THE FUEL TANKS. NOTES FOUND IN THE AIRCRAFT TAKEN BY THE PASSENGER INDICATED TOTAL FLIGHT TIME ON THE LEFT FUEL TANK ON THAT TRIP WAS 2:56 HOURS, AND FLIGHT TIME ON THE RIGHT FUEL TANK TO THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WAS APPROXIMATELY 3:00 HOURS. (.4)THE AIRPLANE DEPARTED ON A CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT WITH AN UNDETERMINED AMOUNT OF FUEL AND FLEW APPROXIMATELY 4 HOURS AND 15 MINUTES BEFORE IT EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. THE AIRPLANE CRASHED IN A WOODED AREA APPROXIMATELY 2 MILES FROM THE DESTINATION AIRPORT DURING THE SUBSEQUENT FORCED LANDING. ACCORDING TO A STATE POLICE OFFICER THE PASSENGER STATED THEY '...RAN OUT OF FUEL AND CRASHED.' EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT WRECKAGE REVEALE D THAT BOTH WING TANKS CONTAINED NO FUEL, AND THE FUEL LINE TO FLOW DIVIDER CONTAINED ONLY ABOUT A SPONNFUL OF FUEL. THE ENGINE RAN TO RATED POWER IN A TEST CELL AFTER THE ACCIDENT. DURING THE TEST, THE ENGINE DRIVEN FUEL PUMP EXHIBITES HIGH PRESSURE AND FLOW RATES AT FULL POWER.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.