What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Lost power on last leg of flight. Struck power lines on night forced landing had flown to fuel exhaustion. (.4) the pilot had flown about three hours,and was enroute to the initial departure airport. During the return flight he encountered weather conditions that forced him to land and wait for conditions to improve. Approximately 30 minutes into this phase of flight, the engine lost power. The engine regained power after the pilot employed restart procedures. Moments later, the engine quit again. The pilot selected a public road for an emergency landing area. The airplane collided with utility wires during the emergency descent. The pilot had flown approximately three hours and thirty-six minutes since the airplane was last refueled. The pilot initially reported that he departed with six hours of fuel, but later realized that the airplane only had a fuel capacity of 24 gallons usable. The average fuel consumption rate is approximately six gallons per hour. The pilot reported that he had flown the entire flight at an altitude of 2000 feet and 2300 RPM, with the mixture in the full rich position. During the examination of the airplane, no fuel was recovered from the undamaged tank system. (-23) see narrative #ATL98LA082
As the FAA filed it
LOST POWER ON LAST LEG OF FLIGHT. STRUCK POWER LINES ON NIGHT FORCED LANDING HAD FLOWN TO FUEL EXHAUSTION. (.4) THE PILOT HAD FLOWN ABOUT THREE HOURS,AND WAS ENROUTE TO THE INITIAL DEPARTURE AIRPORT. DURING THE RETURN FLIGHT HE ENCOUNTERED WEATHER CONDITIONS THAT FORCED HIM TO LAND AND WAIT FOR CONDITIONS TO IMPROVE. APPROXIMATELY 30 MINUTES INTO THIS PHASE OF FLIGHT, THE ENGINE LOST POWER. THE ENGINE REGAINED POWER AFTER THE PILOT EMPLOYED RESTART PROCEDURES. MOMENTS LATER, THE ENGINE QUIT AGAIN. THE PILOT SELECTED A PUBLIC ROAD FOR AN EMERGENCY LANDING AREA. THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH UTILITY WIRES DURING THE EMERGENCY DESCENT. THE PILOT HAD FLOWN APPROXIMATELY THREE HOURS AND THIRTY-SIX MINUTES SINCE THE AIRPLANE WAS LAST REFUELED. THE PILOT INITIALLY REPORTED THAT HE DEPARTED WITH SIX HOURS OF FUEL, BUT LATER REALIZED THAT THE AIRPLANE ONLY HAD A FUEL CAPACITY OF 24 GALLONS USABLE. THE AVERAGE FUEL CONSUMPTION RATE IS APPROXIMATELY SIX GALLONS PER HOUR. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE HAD FLOWN THE ENTIRE FLIGHT AT AN ALTITUDE OF 2000 FEET AND 2300 RPM, WITH THE MIXTURE IN THE FULL RICH POSITION. DURING THE EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE, NO FUEL WAS RECOVERED FROM THE UNDAMAGED TANK SYSTEM. (-23) SEE NARRATIVE #ATL98LA082
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.