What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) During take-off Mr. Graham, the aircraft owner, was at the controls. He felt the aircraft sputtering and turned the controls over to Mr. Brown, the PIC. They cleared the trees at the end of the runway. The engine quit due to fuel starvation. The aircraft landed approximately 50 feet up in the trees, across the road from the end of the runway. Mr. Graham stated he flew by time, not by the fuel gauges, because they were having problems with the gauges. He believed he had only 2 gallons of unuseable fuel. The weight and balance sheet and the type certificate show 9 gallons unuseable fuel. Mr. Graham said he had fuel for 2.5 hours. The aircraft was flown for 4 hrs. No evidence of fuel found on ground or in trees at the scene. Right wing was empty. Left wing had approximately 2 gallons of fuel inside.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) DURING TAKE-OFF MR. GRAHAM, THE AIRCRAFT OWNER, WAS AT THE CONTROLS. HE FELT THE AIRCRAFT SPUTTERING AND TURNED THE CONTROLS OVER TO MR. BROWN, THE PIC. THEY CLEARED THE TREES AT THE END OF THE RUNWAY. THE ENGINE QUIT DUE TO FUEL STARVATION. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED APPROXIMATELY 50 FEET UP IN THE TREES, ACROSS THE ROAD FROM THE END OF THE RUNWAY. MR. GRAHAM STATED HE FLEW BY TIME, NOT BY THE FUEL GAUGES, BECAUSE THEY WERE HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE GAUGES. HE BELIEVED HE HAD ONLY 2 GALLONS OF UNUSEABLE FUEL. THE WEIGHT AND BALANCE SHEET AND THE TYPE CERTIFICATE SHOW 9 GALLONS UNUSEABLE FUEL. MR. GRAHAM SAID HE HAD FUEL FOR 2.5 HOURS. THE AIRCRAFT WAS FLOWN FOR 4 HRS. NO EVIDENCE OF FUEL FOUND ON GROUND OR IN TREES AT THE SCENE. RIGHT WING WAS EMPTY. LEFT WING HAD APPROXIMATELY 2 GALLONS OF FUEL INSIDE.