What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Acft was on a test flight when it crashed under unknown circumstances. (.4) the airplane impacted terrain following a forced landing resulting from a loss of engine power while in cruise flight. The airplane underwent `extensive' modification and repair for five to six months prior to the flight. Several maintenance personnel, who were working on the airplane the morning of the accident, stated that the pilot wanted the airplane back, even though he was told that maintenance was not complete. Also, one maintenance person reported that the pilot said, `no matter what, I'm pulling this airplane out and flying to albuquerque.' After about 30 minutes of flight, the engine `quit.' The left wing tank fuel quantity gauge indicated `3/4 full.' The pilot then switched the fuel tank selector switch from the left main wing tank to the right main wing tank and attempted to restart the engine, but was unsuccessful. He then tried to restart the engine with the auxiliary tank selected, but was unsuccessful. A forced landing was executed to a paved, country road. The airplane veered to the right into a ditch, subsequently the right wing dug into the ground and turned the airplane 180 degrees into a ditch. (-23) while flying VFR on top at 8,000 feet, engine began to run rough and then quit. Unable to restart the engine, the pilot attempted an emergency landing on a road south of Carter, OK. The aircraft was not aligned with the road upon landing and veered off onto the grass shoulder.
As the FAA filed it
ACFT WAS ON A TEST FLIGHT WHEN IT CRASHED UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES. (.4) THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED TERRAIN FOLLOWING A FORCED LANDING RESULTING FROM A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER WHILE IN CRUISE FLIGHT. THE AIRPLANE UNDERWENT `EXTENSIVE' MODIFICATION AND REPAIR FOR FIVE TO SIX MONTHS PRIOR TO THE FLIGHT. SEVERAL MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL, WHO WERE WORKING ON THE AIRPLANE THE MORNING OF THE ACCIDENT, STATED THAT THE PILOT WANTED THE AIRPLANE BACK, EVEN THOUGH HE WAS TOLD THAT MAINTENANCE WAS NOT COMPLETE. ALSO, ONE MAINTENANCE PERSON REPORTED THAT THE PILOT SAID, `NO MATTER WHAT, I'M PULLING THIS AIRPLANE OUT AND FLYING TO ALBUQUERQUE.' AFTER ABOUT 30 MINUTES OF FLIGHT, THE ENGINE `QUIT.' THE LEFT WING TANK FUEL QUANTITY GAUGE INDICATED `3/4 FULL.' THE PILOT THEN SWITCHED THE FUEL TANK SELECTOR SWITCH FROM THE LEFT MAIN WING TANK TO THE RIGHT MAIN WING TANK AND ATTEMPTED TO RESTART THE ENGINE, BUT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. HE THEN TRIED TO RESTART THE ENGINE WITH THE AUXILIARY TANK SELECTED, BUT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. A FORCED LANDING WAS EXECUTED TO A PAVED, COUNTRY ROAD. THE AIRPLANE VEERED TO THE RIGHT INTO A DITCH, SUBSEQUENTLY THE RIGHT WING DUG INTO THE GROUND AND TURNED THE AIRPLANE 180 DEGREES INTO A DITCH. (-23) WHILE FLYING VFR ON TOP AT 8,000 FEET, ENGINE BEGAN TO RUN ROUGH AND THEN QUIT. UNABLE TO RESTART THE ENGINE, THE PILOT ATTEMPTED AN EMERGENCY LANDING ON A ROAD SOUTH OF CARTER, OK. THE AIRCRAFT WAS NOT ALIGNED WITH THE ROAD UPON LANDING AND VEERED OFF ONTO THE GRASS SHOULDER.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.