What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Salmon air air taxi landed in a mountain meadow for unknown reasons, struck a berm, and the nose gear collapsed, the acft has substantial damage, no injuries were reported to the pilot and 7 pax, other circumstances are unknown. (.4)the pilot reported that while in cruise configuration, the low fuel pressure lights illuminated and the left engine began to surge. The pilot selected cross-feed and the engine functioned normally . Three to four minutes after selecting cross-feed, the left engine began to surge again. With the right engine still operating, the pilot secured the left engine and executed a forced landing in an open field. During the landing roll, the aircraft collided with a ditch and the nose gear collapsed, causing substantial damage to the aircraft's fuselage. An FAA inspector inspected the aircraft after the accident and reported that there was no evidence of fuel in the aircraft's fuel tanks. He also stated the fuel system was not breached and there was no evidence of a preexisting fuel leak. In a written statement, the pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the aircraft at the time of the accident. (-23)enroute, salmon, Idaho, to boise, Idaho, left engine surged, pilot switched to outboard tank, engine to surge, low fuel lights came on. Pilot switched left engine to right main tank and both engines began to surge and associated fuel lights came on. Pilot switched left engine back to left side main tank and left engine died. Pilot feathered left engine and with right engine surging and low fuel lights illuminated, he landed the aircraft in a mountain neadow. As the aircraft was rolling to a stop in the meadow, the nose wheel struck a berm and collapsed. The aircraft skidded to a stop on its nose. No fuel could be found in the aircraft in any tank.
As the FAA filed it
SALMON AIR AIR TAXI LANDED IN A MOUNTAIN MEADOW FOR UNKNOWN REASONS, STRUCK A BERM, AND THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED, THE ACFT HAS SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE, NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED TO THE PILOT AND 7 PAX, OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES ARE UNKNOWN. (.4)THE PILOT REPORTED THAT WHILE IN CRUISE CONFIGURATION, THE LOW FUEL PRESSURE LIGHTS ILLUMINATED AND THE LEFT ENGINE BEGAN TO SURGE. THE PILOT SELECTED CROSS-FEED AND THE ENGINE FUNCTIONED NORMALLY . THREE TO FOUR MINUTES AFTER SELECTING CROSS-FEED, THE LEFT ENGINE BEGAN TO SURGE AGAIN. WITH THE RIGHT ENGINE STILL OPERATING, THE PILOT SECURED THE LEFT ENGINE AND EXECUTED A FORCED LANDING IN AN OPEN FIELD. DURING THE LANDING ROLL, THE AIRCRAFT COLLIDED WITH A DITCH AND THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED, CAUSING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT'S FUSELAGE. AN FAA INSPECTOR INSPECTED THE AIRCRAFT AFTER THE ACCIDENT AND REPORTED THAT THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF FUEL IN THE AIRCRAFT'S FUEL TANKS. HE ALSO STATED THE FUEL SYSTEM WAS NOT BREACHED AND THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF A PREEXISTING FUEL LEAK. IN A WRITTEN STATEMENT, THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THERE WERE NO MECHANICAL MALFUNCTIONS OR FAILURES WITH THE AIRCRAFT AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. (-23)ENROUTE, SALMON, IDAHO, TO BOISE, IDAHO, LEFT ENGINE SURGED, PILOT SWITCHED TO OUTBOARD TANK, ENGINE TO SURGE, LOW FUEL LIGHTS CAME ON. PILOT SWITCHED LEFT ENGINE TO RIGHT MAIN TANK AND BOTH ENGINES BEGAN TO SURGE AND ASSOCIATED FUEL LIGHTS CAME ON. PILOT SWITCHED LEFT ENGINE BACK TO LEFT SIDE MAIN TANK AND LEFT ENGINE DIED. PILOT FEATHERED LEFT ENGINE AND WITH RIGHT ENGINE SURGING AND LOW FUEL LIGHTS ILLUMINATED, HE LANDED THE AIRCRAFT IN A MOUNTAIN NEADOW. AS THE AIRCRAFT WAS ROLLING TO A STOP IN THE MEADOW, THE NOSE WHEEL STRUCK A BERM AND COLLAPSED. THE AIRCRAFT SKIDDED TO A STOP ON ITS NOSE. NO FUEL COULD BE FOUND IN THE AIRCRAFT IN ANY TANK.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.