What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
1946 Superior culver v acft ran out of fuel and made an emergency landing in a vacant field. (From .19) on June 4, 1999, at 1613 hours pacific daylight time, a culver v, N44549, force landed in a vacant field north of south county airport, San Martin, CA. The aircraft, owned and operated by the pilot under 14 CFR part 91, sustained substantial damage. The private pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. The flight originated from watsonville, CA, at 0940 and made an en route stop at auburn, CA. Visual meteorological conditions were observed, and no flight plan was filed. A federal aviation administration inspector from the san jose, CA, flight standards district office, interviewed the pilot. The pilot stated to the inspector that he ran out of fuel while nearing his destination. He reported that he refueled in watsonville and departed for south county airport with a planned stop in auburn. According to the pilot, he was airborne for 5 hours after departure from watsonville when the engine lost power. The pilot said that when he realized he would not have enough fuel to make it to his destination, he maneuvered to make an off field landing in a vacant field. The pilot further stated that he saw powerlines, and impacted the ground when he tried to maneuver under them. (.4) the pilot noticed obscured ridges en route to his destination and said he spent too much time looking for a clear area to cross before he decided to divert to another airport. The pilot realized he would not have enough fuel to reach the diversion airport, so he maneuvered for a forced landing 4 miles short of the runway when he ran out of fuel. The aircraft encountered soft soil and ground obstructions during the landing roll. The pilot did not refuel the aircraft prior to departure from his last stop.
As the FAA filed it
1946 SUPERIOR CULVER V ACFT RAN OUT OF FUEL AND MADE AN EMERGENCY LANDING IN A VACANT FIELD. (FROM .19) ON JUNE 4, 1999, AT 1613 HOURS PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, A CULVER V, N44549, FORCE LANDED IN A VACANT FIELD NORTH OF SOUTH COUNTY AIRPORT, SAN MARTIN, CA. THE AIRCRAFT, OWNED AND OPERATED BY THE PILOT UNDER 14 CFR PART 91, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE PRIVATE PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT, WAS NOT INJURED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM WATSONVILLE, CA, AT 0940 AND MADE AN EN ROUTE STOP AT AUBURN, CA. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS WERE OBSERVED, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. A FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION INSPECTOR FROM THE SAN JOSE, CA, FLIGHT STANDARDS DISTRICT OFFICE, INTERVIEWED THE PILOT. THE PILOT STATED TO THE INSPECTOR THAT HE RAN OUT OF FUEL WHILE NEARING HIS DESTINATION. HE REPORTED THAT HE REFUELED IN WATSONVILLE AND DEPARTED FOR SOUTH COUNTY AIRPORT WITH A PLANNED STOP IN AUBURN. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, HE WAS AIRBORNE FOR 5 HOURS AFTER DEPARTURE FROM WATSONVILLE WHEN THE ENGINE LOST POWER. THE PILOT SAID THAT WHEN HE REALIZED HE WOULD NOT HAVE ENOUGH FUEL TO MAKE IT TO HIS DESTINATION, HE MANEUVERED TO MAKE AN OFF FIELD LANDING IN A VACANT FIELD. THE PILOT FURTHER STATED THAT HE SAW POWERLINES, AND IMPACTED THE GROUND WHEN HE TRIED TO MANEUVER UNDER THEM. (.4) THE PILOT NOTICED OBSCURED RIDGES EN ROUTE TO HIS DESTINATION AND SAID HE SPENT TOO MUCH TIME LOOKING FOR A CLEAR AREA TO CROSS BEFORE HE DECIDED TO DIVERT TO ANOTHER AIRPORT. THE PILOT REALIZED HE WOULD NOT HAVE ENOUGH FUEL TO REACH THE DIVERSION AIRPORT, SO HE MANEUVERED FOR A FORCED LANDING 4 MILES SHORT OF THE RUNWAY WHEN HE RAN OUT OF FUEL. THE AIRCRAFT ENCOUNTERED SOFT SOIL AND GROUND OBSTRUCTIONS DURING THE LANDING ROLL. THE PILOT DID NOT REFUEL THE AIRCRAFT PRIOR TO DEPARTURE FROM HIS LAST STOP.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.