What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On 07/16/98, aircraft departed austin, Texas (3R3) at 17:08 CST, enroute to Springfield, Missouri (3DW), on an IFR flight plan. During pre-flight inspection in 3R3, pilot states no discrepancies were noted and aircraft fuel tanks "appeared" full. Upon visual of 3DW, IFR was cancelled and a straight in approach to landing was planned for runway 29. Approximately 2.5 miles from the field, another aircraft announced a straight in approach to runway 11. Pilot had the approaching aircraft in sight and announced his intention to enter a left downwind in order to land behind the aircraft on runway 11. While positioning the aircraft, the pilot lost sight of the oncoming aircraft and could not locate the runway. About this time, the engine quit. Fuel was switched to the RH tank and the engine was restarted. Pilot informed sgf ATC about his fuel situation and inability to locate 3DW. Shortly after this, the engine quit and an emergency landing was performed in a nearby field. Pilot was not injured, but aircraft received substantial damage. (.4) the pilot stated that while he was in contact with approach control, the engine quit suddenly, he switched tanks, and the engine restarted without hesitation. The pilot notified approach control of his fuel situation and approach control communicated to the pilot that he was flying directly over the airport. The pilot stated that he still did not have visual contact with the airport. The engine quit, for the second time, and the pilot executed a forced landing into a field. The pilot stated that he used 3 notches of flaps, tried to keep the wings level, and was aware of some trees that were at the beginning of the field he had selected. The aircraft came to rest on some railroad tracks. Post accident investigation showed that the pilot had been flying for at least 4 hours and 4 minutes at the time of the first engine failure. The fuel tanks were drained, with 1.5 pints of fuel being drained from each wing tank. There was no evidence of a fuel spill at the accident site and the fuel tanks were not compromised during the forced landing. There were no other anomalies found with the aircraft, flight controls, or engine.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON 07/16/98, AIRCRAFT DEPARTED AUSTIN, TEXAS (3R3) AT 17:08 CST, ENROUTE TO SPRINGFIELD, MISSOURI (3DW), ON AN IFR FLIGHT PLAN. DURING PRE-FLIGHT INSPECTION IN 3R3, PILOT STATES NO DISCREPANCIES WERE NOTED AND AIRCRAFT FUEL TANKS "APPEARED" FULL. UPON VISUAL OF 3DW, IFR WAS CANCELLED AND A STRAIGHT IN APPROACH TO LANDING WAS PLANNED FOR RUNWAY 29. APPROXIMATELY 2.5 MILES FROM THE FIELD, ANOTHER AIRCRAFT ANNOUNCED A STRAIGHT IN APPROACH TO RUNWAY 11. PILOT HAD THE APPROACHING AIRCRAFT IN SIGHT AND ANNOUNCED HIS INTENTION TO ENTER A LEFT DOWNWIND IN ORDER TO LAND BEHIND THE AIRCRAFT ON RUNWAY 11. WHILE POSITIONING THE AIRCRAFT, THE PILOT LOST SIGHT OF THE ONCOMING AIRCRAFT AND COULD NOT LOCATE THE RUNWAY. ABOUT THIS TIME, THE ENGINE QUIT. FUEL WAS SWITCHED TO THE RH TANK AND THE ENGINE WAS RESTARTED. PILOT INFORMED SGF ATC ABOUT HIS FUEL SITUATION AND INABILITY TO LOCATE 3DW. SHORTLY AFTER THIS, THE ENGINE QUIT AND AN EMERGENCY LANDING WAS PERFORMED IN A NEARBY FIELD. PILOT WAS NOT INJURED, BUT AIRCRAFT RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. (.4) THE PILOT STATED THAT WHILE HE WAS IN CONTACT WITH APPROACH CONTROL, THE ENGINE QUIT SUDDENLY, HE SWITCHED TANKS, AND THE ENGINE RESTARTED WITHOUT HESITATION. THE PILOT NOTIFIED APPROACH CONTROL OF HIS FUEL SITUATION AND APPROACH CONTROL COMMUNICATED TO THE PILOT THAT HE WAS FLYING DIRECTLY OVER THE AIRPORT. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE STILL DID NOT HAVE VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE AIRPORT. THE ENGINE QUIT, FOR THE SECOND TIME, AND THE PILOT EXECUTED A FORCED LANDING INTO A FIELD. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE USED 3 NOTCHES OF FLAPS, TRIED TO KEEP THE WINGS LEVEL, AND WAS AWARE OF SOME TREES THAT WERE AT THE BEGINNING OF THE FIELD HE HAD SELECTED. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST ON SOME RAILROAD TRACKS. POST ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION SHOWED THAT THE PILOT HAD BEEN FLYING FOR AT LEAST 4 HOURS AND 4 MINUTES AT THE TIME OF THE FIRST ENGINE FAILURE. THE FUEL TANKS WERE DRAINED, WITH 1.5 PINTS OF FUEL BEING DRAINED FROM EACH WING TANK. THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF A FUEL SPILL AT THE ACCIDENT SITE AND THE FUEL TANKS WERE NOT COMPROMISED DURING THE FORCED LANDING. THERE WERE NO OTHER ANOMALIES FOUND WITH THE AIRCRAFT, FLIGHT CONTROLS, OR ENGINE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.