What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Acft experienced engine failure during forced landing, the plane hit trees ripping off the left wing, acft totally submerged in pond, (.4) the airplane was in cruise flight, approximately 15 minutes after departure, when the engine started to surge and sputter. The pilot turned to the departure airport and initiated a climb. He said he changed the fuel selector from the right tank position to the left, but `...nothing happened.' He moved the fuel selector back to the right tank, and selected a golf course for a forced landing site where the airplane struck trees and came to rest in a pond. Examination of the wreckage revealed that the right fuel tank was completely empty, not contaminated by water, and that the fuel selector was in the right tank position. The left tank contained approximately 27 gallons of fuel and an unknown quantity of water. The pilot reported he had 30 gallons of fuel on board at takeoff. The fuel system was examined and no evidence of fuel was found in the engine-driven fuel pump, fuel injector, or flow divider manifold. No evidence of fuel was found in the fuel line to the fuel pressure gauge. Examination of records revealed the airplane's most recent fuel service was for 23 gallons of fuel and that the airplane accumulated approximately 2 hours of flight time after the service.
As the FAA filed it
ACFT EXPERIENCED ENGINE FAILURE DURING FORCED LANDING, THE PLANE HIT TREES RIPPING OFF THE LEFT WING, ACFT TOTALLY SUBMERGED IN POND, (.4) THE AIRPLANE WAS IN CRUISE FLIGHT, APPROXIMATELY 15 MINUTES AFTER DEPARTURE, WHEN THE ENGINE STARTED TO SURGE AND SPUTTER. THE PILOT TURNED TO THE DEPARTURE AIRPORT AND INITIATED A CLIMB. HE SAID HE CHANGED THE FUEL SELECTOR FROM THE RIGHT TANK POSITION TO THE LEFT, BUT `...NOTHING HAPPENED.' HE MOVED THE FUEL SELECTOR BACK TO THE RIGHT TANK, AND SELECTED A GOLF COURSE FOR A FORCED LANDING SITE WHERE THE AIRPLANE STRUCK TREES AND CAME TO REST IN A POND. EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE REVEALED THAT THE RIGHT FUEL TANK WAS COMPLETELY EMPTY, NOT CONTAMINATED BY WATER, AND THAT THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS IN THE RIGHT TANK POSITION. THE LEFT TANK CONTAINED APPROXIMATELY 27 GALLONS OF FUEL AND AN UNKNOWN QUANTITY OF WATER. THE PILOT REPORTED HE HAD 30 GALLONS OF FUEL ON BOARD AT TAKEOFF. THE FUEL SYSTEM WAS EXAMINED AND NO EVIDENCE OF FUEL WAS FOUND IN THE ENGINE-DRIVEN FUEL PUMP, FUEL INJECTOR, OR FLOW DIVIDER MANIFOLD. NO EVIDENCE OF FUEL WAS FOUND IN THE FUEL LINE TO THE FUEL PRESSURE GAUGE. EXAMINATION OF RECORDS REVEALED THE AIRPLANE'S MOST RECENT FUEL SERVICE WAS FOR 23 GALLONS OF FUEL AND THAT THE AIRPLANE ACCUMULATED APPROXIMATELY 2 HOURS OF FLIGHT TIME AFTER THE SERVICE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.