What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.4)While on a personal cross-country flight, the pilot spent time circumnavigating thunderstorms and experienced a complete loss of power due to fuel exhaustion. He conducted a forced landing in a field which was rough and uneven. There was a road beside the field which was suitable to use as a runway for his emergency landing. The aircraft sustained substantial damage to the underside of the fuselage during the forced landing. The pilot did not have a multiengine rating, was inexperienced in the aircraft, and his last biennial flight review was conducted in a single engine aircraft 17 years prior to the accident. (-23) on June 26, 1998, at 1500 MST, a Piper PA-23-260 sustained substantial damage after a forced landing 18 miles north of Casper WY. Due to fuel exhaution. The private pilot and passenger were not injured. The flight was conducted under title 14 CFR part 91. VMC conditions existed at the time. The aircraft was on a flight from watertown, south dakota to Casper, WY.
As the FAA filed it
(.4)WHILE ON A PERSONAL CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT, THE PILOT SPENT TIME CIRCUMNAVIGATING THUNDERSTORMS AND EXPERIENCED A COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER DUE TO FUEL EXHAUSTION. HE CONDUCTED A FORCED LANDING IN A FIELD WHICH WAS ROUGH AND UNEVEN. THERE WAS A ROAD BESIDE THE FIELD WHICH WAS SUITABLE TO USE AS A RUNWAY FOR HIS EMERGENCY LANDING. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE UNDERSIDE OF THE FUSELAGE DURING THE FORCED LANDING. THE PILOT DID NOT HAVE A MULTIENGINE RATING, WAS INEXPERIENCED IN THE AIRCRAFT, AND HIS LAST BIENNIAL FLIGHT REVIEW WAS CONDUCTED IN A SINGLE ENGINE AIRCRAFT 17 YEARS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. (-23) ON JUNE 26, 1998, AT 1500 MST, A PIPER PA-23-260 SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE AFTER A FORCED LANDING 18 MILES NORTH OF CASPER WY. DUE TO FUEL EXHAUTION. THE PRIVATE PILOT AND PASSENGER WERE NOT INJURED. THE FLIGHT WAS CONDUCTED UNDER TITLE 14 CFR PART 91. VMC CONDITIONS EXISTED AT THE TIME. THE AIRCRAFT WAS ON A FLIGHT FROM WATERTOWN, SOUTH DAKOTA TO CASPER, WY.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.