What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On a night VFR cross country from cresco, it to columbus, NE with one passenger on board, Mr. Ganskow encountered a line of thunderstorms from his EST and southwest. Because of decreasing fuel supply he attempted an emergency landing on a north/south hard surface road. The left wing of the aircraft struck a telephone pole and crashed into the ditch on the west side of the road. The aircraft was destroyed and the pilot and passenger suffered serious injuries. (.4) during an interview, the pilot stated that his time enroute to ellen church field was 2-1/2 hours. Upon arrival, he visually checked the fuel level in each wing tank and stated that it was 'just below the tabs'. He did not obtain any additional fuel. The pilot reported that his cruise altitude on return to columbus municipal airport was 3500' MSL, the power was set to 2300 RPM and the mixture contol was retarded 1/4'. The pilot reported that the progression of his check points on return to columbus municipal airport was as scheduled for approximately the first two hours, after which the flight progressed slower than planned and that the fuel gauges were now indicating 1/4 fuel in each tank. Moonlight was visible from the left side of the aircraft and lightning was visible from the right side. He also stated that he selected the right fuel tank to restart the engine since the left tank was empty and the engine stopped running. With 1/4 fuel remaining in the right tank, the pilot stated that he had only twelve minutes of fuel remaining, so he decided to look for a landing area. With thunderstorms between his location and sioux gateway airport, near sioux city, Iowa, he searched the area and decided to land on a black top road. He impacted a pole and did not want to initiate a climb because he was unsure as to the condition of his flight controls. Inspection of the airplane by federal aviation administration (FAA) inspectors revealed that all the fuel sump valves and the fuel caps were in the closed position. Fuel was observed to be present in the left tank. The fuel selector was selected to the left tank. The FAA also confirmed that the pilot had been briefed on convective activity for his route of flight.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON A NIGHT VFR CROSS COUNTRY FROM CRESCO, IT TO COLUMBUS, NE WITH ONE PASSENGER ON BOARD, MR. GANSKOW ENCOUNTERED A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS FROM HIS EST AND SOUTHWEST. BECAUSE OF DECREASING FUEL SUPPLY HE ATTEMPTED AN EMERGENCY LANDING ON A NORTH/SOUTH HARD SURFACE ROAD. THE LEFT WING OF THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK A TELEPHONE POLE AND CRASHED INTO THE DITCH ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED AND THE PILOT AND PASSENGER SUFFERED SERIOUS INJURIES. (.4) DURING AN INTERVIEW, THE PILOT STATED THAT HIS TIME ENROUTE TO ELLEN CHURCH FIELD WAS 2-1/2 HOURS. UPON ARRIVAL, HE VISUALLY CHECKED THE FUEL LEVEL IN EACH WING TANK AND STATED THAT IT WAS 'JUST BELOW THE TABS'. HE DID NOT OBTAIN ANY ADDITIONAL FUEL. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HIS CRUISE ALTITUDE ON RETURN TO COLUMBUS MUNICIPAL AIRPORT WAS 3500' MSL, THE POWER WAS SET TO 2300 RPM AND THE MIXTURE CONTOL WAS RETARDED 1/4'. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE PROGRESSION OF HIS CHECK POINTS ON RETURN TO COLUMBUS MUNICIPAL AIRPORT WAS AS SCHEDULED FOR APPROXIMATELY THE FIRST TWO HOURS, AFTER WHICH THE FLIGHT PROGRESSED SLOWER THAN PLANNED AND THAT THE FUEL GAUGES WERE NOW INDICATING 1/4 FUEL IN EACH TANK. MOONLIGHT WAS VISIBLE FROM THE LEFT SIDE OF THE AIRCRAFT AND LIGHTNING WAS VISIBLE FROM THE RIGHT SIDE. HE ALSO STATED THAT HE SELECTED THE RIGHT FUEL TANK TO RESTART THE ENGINE SINCE THE LEFT TANK WAS EMPTY AND THE ENGINE STOPPED RUNNING. WITH 1/4 FUEL REMAINING IN THE RIGHT TANK, THE PILOT STATED THAT HE HAD ONLY TWELVE MINUTES OF FUEL REMAINING, SO HE DECIDED TO LOOK FOR A LANDING AREA. WITH THUNDERSTORMS BETWEEN HIS LOCATION AND SIOUX GATEWAY AIRPORT, NEAR SIOUX CITY, IOWA, HE SEARCHED THE AREA AND DECIDED TO LAND ON A BLACK TOP ROAD. HE IMPACTED A POLE AND DID NOT WANT TO INITIATE A CLIMB BECAUSE HE WAS UNSURE AS TO THE CONDITION OF HIS FLIGHT CONTROLS. INSPECTION OF THE AIRPLANE BY FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION (FAA) INSPECTORS REVEALED THAT ALL THE FUEL SUMP VALVES AND THE FUEL CAPS WERE IN THE CLOSED POSITION. FUEL WAS OBSERVED TO BE PRESENT IN THE LEFT TANK. THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS SELECTED TO THE LEFT TANK. THE FAA ALSO CONFIRMED THAT THE PILOT HAD BEEN BRIEFED ON CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY FOR HIS ROUTE OF FLIGHT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N1473X · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.