What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23)Pilot reported engine flame-out app. 35 miles off the coast of Virginia beach. Pilot ejected from aircraft just prior to aircraft impacting dirt field in a straight and level attitude. Upon arrival at scene, aircraft found up-right app. 1/4 mile and 90 degrees from approach end of runway. Ejection seat found app. 200 yards from aircraft. Two external fuel tanks found app. 150 yards from aircraft. Aircraft impacted gear-up. Initial investigation found no evidence of major fuel leakage on aircraft exterior or external fuel tanks exterior. Aircraft to be moved to a secure facility for further inspection. Damage to aircraft determined to be substantial. (.4)the pilot was conducting the second of two support flights for a U.S. Navy ship. On each flight, he made three passes. Following the last pass of the second flight, the pilot made a 5G pull-up. Once 'on top', he noted that the airplane's fuel quantity was rapidly going down. The pilot declared an emergency, and climbed the airplane to 35,000 feet, where the engine flamed out. He established a 300-knot glide, and was vectored to a naval air station. He stated that the airplane either reached, or was above three 'key' positions, and on airspeed. However, after the third key, he realized the airplane would not reach a runway, so he successfully ejected less than 50 feet above the ground. The airplane impacted a plowed field, and remained upright until it skidded to a stop. There was no post-impact fire, and there was no evidence of fuel leakage, nor of the failure of any airframe component. The second flight was about 15 minutes longer than the first. With the airplane's capacitance fuel indicating system; high speed flight fuel quantity indications could be inaccurate. The 2,700-hour pilot had 43 hours of flight time in make and model.
As the FAA filed it
(-23)PILOT REPORTED ENGINE FLAME-OUT APP. 35 MILES OFF THE COAST OF VIRGINIA BEACH. PILOT EJECTED FROM AIRCRAFT JUST PRIOR TO AIRCRAFT IMPACTING DIRT FIELD IN A STRAIGHT AND LEVEL ATTITUDE. UPON ARRIVAL AT SCENE, AIRCRAFT FOUND UP-RIGHT APP. 1/4 MILE AND 90 DEGREES FROM APPROACH END OF RUNWAY. EJECTION SEAT FOUND APP. 200 YARDS FROM AIRCRAFT. TWO EXTERNAL FUEL TANKS FOUND APP. 150 YARDS FROM AIRCRAFT. AIRCRAFT IMPACTED GEAR-UP. INITIAL INVESTIGATION FOUND NO EVIDENCE OF MAJOR FUEL LEAKAGE ON AIRCRAFT EXTERIOR OR EXTERNAL FUEL TANKS EXTERIOR. AIRCRAFT TO BE MOVED TO A SECURE FACILITY FOR FURTHER INSPECTION. DAMAGE TO AIRCRAFT DETERMINED TO BE SUBSTANTIAL. (.4)THE PILOT WAS CONDUCTING THE SECOND OF TWO SUPPORT FLIGHTS FOR A U.S. NAVY SHIP. ON EACH FLIGHT, HE MADE THREE PASSES. FOLLOWING THE LAST PASS OF THE SECOND FLIGHT, THE PILOT MADE A 5G PULL-UP. ONCE 'ON TOP', HE NOTED THAT THE AIRPLANE'S FUEL QUANTITY WAS RAPIDLY GOING DOWN. THE PILOT DECLARED AN EMERGENCY, AND CLIMBED THE AIRPLANE TO 35,000 FEET, WHERE THE ENGINE FLAMED OUT. HE ESTABLISHED A 300-KNOT GLIDE, AND WAS VECTORED TO A NAVAL AIR STATION. HE STATED THAT THE AIRPLANE EITHER REACHED, OR WAS ABOVE THREE 'KEY' POSITIONS, AND ON AIRSPEED. HOWEVER, AFTER THE THIRD KEY, HE REALIZED THE AIRPLANE WOULD NOT REACH A RUNWAY, SO HE SUCCESSFULLY EJECTED LESS THAN 50 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND. THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED A PLOWED FIELD, AND REMAINED UPRIGHT UNTIL IT SKIDDED TO A STOP. THERE WAS NO POST-IMPACT FIRE, AND THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF FUEL LEAKAGE, NOR OF THE FAILURE OF ANY AIRFRAME COMPONENT. THE SECOND FLIGHT WAS ABOUT 15 MINUTES LONGER THAN THE FIRST. WITH THE AIRPLANE'S CAPACITANCE FUEL INDICATING SYSTEM; HIGH SPEED FLIGHT FUEL QUANTITY INDICATIONS COULD BE INACCURATE. THE 2,700-HOUR PILOT HAD 43 HOURS OF FLIGHT TIME IN MAKE AND MODEL.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.