What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.4)Witnesses on the ground reported hearing the engine of a low-flying aircraft start and stop several times before the aircraft struck utility lines. The engine then surged, but the aircraft continued to the ground. A wet stain was on the ground near the right wing tank. About 2 gallons of fuel were in the left wing tank and about 1 or 2 cups of fuel in the fuselage header tank. The POH states that starvation can occur during long steep descents with 2 gallons per wing tank, and advises the pilot to select the fuselage tank in order to avoid fuel starvation. The fuel selector was found partially displaced from the auxiliary (fuselage tank position). The fuselage tank is separate from the main fuel system and must be filled independently. The carburetor throttle and mixture control arms were in the full open and full rich positions. No fuel was found in the carburetor bowl. No engine driven fuel pump or electric fuel boost pump was installed. The aircraft designer specifies that the aircraft be equipped with both an engine driven fuel pump and an electric auxiliary fuel boost pump because of the limited headspace between the tanks and the engine. (-23) enroute from FF2 to Globe A2 in cruise the engine quit operating. The aircraft then hit a high power electrical line and then impacted the terrain causing fatal injuries to the pilot/builder of this aircraft.
As the FAA filed it
(.4)WITNESSES ON THE GROUND REPORTED HEARING THE ENGINE OF A LOW-FLYING AIRCRAFT START AND STOP SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK UTILITY LINES. THE ENGINE THEN SURGED, BUT THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED TO THE GROUND. A WET STAIN WAS ON THE GROUND NEAR THE RIGHT WING TANK. ABOUT 2 GALLONS OF FUEL WERE IN THE LEFT WING TANK AND ABOUT 1 OR 2 CUPS OF FUEL IN THE FUSELAGE HEADER TANK. THE POH STATES THAT STARVATION CAN OCCUR DURING LONG STEEP DESCENTS WITH 2 GALLONS PER WING TANK, AND ADVISES THE PILOT TO SELECT THE FUSELAGE TANK IN ORDER TO AVOID FUEL STARVATION. THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS FOUND PARTIALLY DISPLACED FROM THE AUXILIARY (FUSELAGE TANK POSITION). THE FUSELAGE TANK IS SEPARATE FROM THE MAIN FUEL SYSTEM AND MUST BE FILLED INDEPENDENTLY. THE CARBURETOR THROTTLE AND MIXTURE CONTROL ARMS WERE IN THE FULL OPEN AND FULL RICH POSITIONS. NO FUEL WAS FOUND IN THE CARBURETOR BOWL. NO ENGINE DRIVEN FUEL PUMP OR ELECTRIC FUEL BOOST PUMP WAS INSTALLED. THE AIRCRAFT DESIGNER SPECIFIES THAT THE AIRCRAFT BE EQUIPPED WITH BOTH AN ENGINE DRIVEN FUEL PUMP AND AN ELECTRIC AUXILIARY FUEL BOOST PUMP BECAUSE OF THE LIMITED HEADSPACE BETWEEN THE TANKS AND THE ENGINE. (-23) ENROUTE FROM FF2 TO GLOBE A2 IN CRUISE THE ENGINE QUIT OPERATING. THE AIRCRAFT THEN HIT A HIGH POWER ELECTRICAL LINE AND THEN IMPACTED THE TERRAIN CAUSING FATAL INJURIES TO THE PILOT/BUILDER OF THIS AIRCRAFT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.