What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On July 25, 1998, approximately 1015 mountain daylight time, a Cessna TU206G, N102AK, owned and operated by the pilots company, was substantially damaged during a forced landing following a loss of engine power near Midvale, UT. The private pilot, the sole occupant onboard, was not injured. The aircraft was being operated as a personal flight under title 14 CFR part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed. The flight originated at chico, California, at 0535 pacific daylight time. According to the pilots accident report, he obtained a weather briefing and departed chico, California, en route to herber, Utah. When he was fourteen miles west of herber, he encountered thunderstorms and rain. He contacted salt lake city approach control and was directed to descend to 5500 feet and was vectored towards the salt lake city municipal airport. Approximately 6 miles southeast of the airport, the engine lost power. He switched fuel tanks and tried to restart the engine but was unsuccessful. He made a forced on a rolling field surroundered by power lines. The airplane struck the ground and rolled approximately 100 to 125 feet uphill. The engine seperated from the firewall, and a fire erupted between the engine and firewall. As the pilot exited the airplane, he grapped a fire extinguisher and put out the fire. The airplane received and annual inspection on July 20, 1998 at which time it was refueled. It did not fly again until the day of the accident. The pilot said he did not physically inspect the fuel tanks prior to his departure from chico. According to the salvage company that retrieved the airplane, there was no evidence of fuel in the left tank but a couple of gallons of fuel were found in the right tank. (-23) aircraft crashed approximately 8 miles on final to slc int'l arpt. Pilot reported engine quit at about 1000' AGL. He switched fuel tanks and attempted a restart. When engine did not restart, he accomplished a forced landing in a vacant field. Post crash fire was put out by pilot (who was uninjured).
As the FAA filed it
ON JULY 25, 1998, APPROXIMATELY 1015 MOUNTAIN DAYLIGHT TIME, A CESSNA TU206G, N102AK, OWNED AND OPERATED BY THE PILOTS COMPANY, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED DURING A FORCED LANDING FOLLOWING A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER NEAR MIDVALE, UT. THE PRIVATE PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT ONBOARD, WAS NOT INJURED. THE AIRCRAFT WAS BEING OPERATED AS A PERSONAL FLIGHT UNDER TITLE 14 CFR PART 91. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT CHICO, CALIFORNIA, AT 0535 PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME. ACCORDING TO THE PILOTS ACCIDENT REPORT, HE OBTAINED A WEATHER BRIEFING AND DEPARTED CHICO, CALIFORNIA, EN ROUTE TO HERBER, UTAH. WHEN HE WAS FOURTEEN MILES WEST OF HERBER, HE ENCOUNTERED THUNDERSTORMS AND RAIN. HE CONTACTED SALT LAKE CITY APPROACH CONTROL AND WAS DIRECTED TO DESCEND TO 5500 FEET AND WAS VECTORED TOWARDS THE SALT LAKE CITY MUNICIPAL AIRPORT. APPROXIMATELY 6 MILES SOUTHEAST OF THE AIRPORT, THE ENGINE LOST POWER. HE SWITCHED FUEL TANKS AND TRIED TO RESTART THE ENGINE BUT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. HE MADE A FORCED ON A ROLLING FIELD SURROUNDERED BY POWER LINES. THE AIRPLANE STRUCK THE GROUND AND ROLLED APPROXIMATELY 100 TO 125 FEET UPHILL. THE ENGINE SEPERATED FROM THE FIREWALL, AND A FIRE ERUPTED BETWEEN THE ENGINE AND FIREWALL. AS THE PILOT EXITED THE AIRPLANE, HE GRAPPED A FIRE EXTINGUISHER AND PUT OUT THE FIRE. THE AIRPLANE RECEIVED AND ANNUAL INSPECTION ON JULY 20, 1998 AT WHICH TIME IT WAS REFUELED. IT DID NOT FLY AGAIN UNTIL THE DAY OF THE ACCIDENT. THE PILOT SAID HE DID NOT PHYSICALLY INSPECT THE FUEL TANKS PRIOR TO HIS DEPARTURE FROM CHICO. ACCORDING TO THE SALVAGE COMPANY THAT RETRIEVED THE AIRPLANE, THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF FUEL IN THE LEFT TANK BUT A COUPLE OF GALLONS OF FUEL WERE FOUND IN THE RIGHT TANK. (-23) AIRCRAFT CRASHED APPROXIMATELY 8 MILES ON FINAL TO SLC INT'L ARPT. PILOT REPORTED ENGINE QUIT AT ABOUT 1000' AGL. HE SWITCHED FUEL TANKS AND ATTEMPTED A RESTART. WHEN ENGINE DID NOT RESTART, HE ACCOMPLISHED A FORCED LANDING IN A VACANT FIELD. POST CRASH FIRE WAS PUT OUT BY PILOT (WHO WAS UNINJURED).
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.