What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) The pilot was on a cross country flight from Oregon to fresno, CA, when the airplane engine failed approximately two miles south east of the Madera Municipal Airport (mae). The pilot made an emergency landing in an open field. Investigation revealed that there was no fuel remaining in the aircraft fuel tank, and carburetor. Approximately five cc's of fuel was drained from the fuel strainer. (.4) this was a cross-country flight from Oregon to California with two en route stops planned to refuel. The flight departed at 0730, with refueling stops along the way. A departure time of 1120 was made from the second airport. The pilot indicated that the airplane had a fuel capacity of 20 gallons and a burn rate of 8 gallons per hour, approximately 2 1/2 to 3 hours of flight, and was not equipped with flaps. After arrival at the destination airport, at 1320, he made three attempts to land. Due to winds and a high temperature he was unable to land. On all three attempts, he landed approximately halfway down the runway, and did not feel there was enough room to safely come to a stop. He departed the airport at 1345 to attempt a landing at an airport approximately 20 nmi from his current position; passing by an airport 5 miles from his current location because he did not have a transponder onboard the airplane and did not want to enter class c airspace without it. Approximately 6 miles from the airport the engine quit, and the pilot started looking for a place to make an emergency landing.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) THE PILOT WAS ON A CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT FROM OREGON TO FRESNO, CA, WHEN THE AIRPLANE ENGINE FAILED APPROXIMATELY TWO MILES SOUTH EAST OF THE MADERA MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (MAE). THE PILOT MADE AN EMERGENCY LANDING IN AN OPEN FIELD. INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THERE WAS NO FUEL REMAINING IN THE AIRCRAFT FUEL TANK, AND CARBURETOR. APPROXIMATELY FIVE CC'S OF FUEL WAS DRAINED FROM THE FUEL STRAINER. (.4) THIS WAS A CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT FROM OREGON TO CALIFORNIA WITH TWO EN ROUTE STOPS PLANNED TO REFUEL. THE FLIGHT DEPARTED AT 0730, WITH REFUELING STOPS ALONG THE WAY. A DEPARTURE TIME OF 1120 WAS MADE FROM THE SECOND AIRPORT. THE PILOT INDICATED THAT THE AIRPLANE HAD A FUEL CAPACITY OF 20 GALLONS AND A BURN RATE OF 8 GALLONS PER HOUR, APPROXIMATELY 2 1/2 TO 3 HOURS OF FLIGHT, AND WAS NOT EQUIPPED WITH FLAPS. AFTER ARRIVAL AT THE DESTINATION AIRPORT, AT 1320, HE MADE THREE ATTEMPTS TO LAND. DUE TO WINDS AND A HIGH TEMPERATURE HE WAS UNABLE TO LAND. ON ALL THREE ATTEMPTS, HE LANDED APPROXIMATELY HALFWAY DOWN THE RUNWAY, AND DID NOT FEEL THERE WAS ENOUGH ROOM TO SAFELY COME TO A STOP. HE DEPARTED THE AIRPORT AT 1345 TO ATTEMPT A LANDING AT AN AIRPORT APPROXIMATELY 20 NMI FROM HIS CURRENT POSITION; PASSING BY AN AIRPORT 5 MILES FROM HIS CURRENT LOCATION BECAUSE HE DID NOT HAVE A TRANSPONDER ONBOARD THE AIRPLANE AND DID NOT WANT TO ENTER CLASS C AIRSPACE WITHOUT IT. APPROXIMATELY 6 MILES FROM THE AIRPORT THE ENGINE QUIT, AND THE PILOT STARTED LOOKING FOR A PLACE TO MAKE AN EMERGENCY LANDING.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.