What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Pilot statement ref: emergency landing ... Germantown, TN...25 apr 01AT approximately 1500 CT I departed my home for the wolf river airport. The weather was VFR and the winds were relatively calm. When I opened my hangar door I noticed the main tires were a little low so I initially concentrated on getting both tires properly inflated. I then installed the battery and set up the cockpit. I rolled the aircraft to the door so I would have more light and began my preflight. After checking both fuel sumps I pumped up pressure with the wobble pump to put fuel through the pressure carburetor. The walk around was uneventful. After opening the cowling I double-checked all connections and topped off the brake reservoir. Finally, I climbed up over the left wheel strut, opened the fuel tank cap and inspectged the fuel quantity. Based on my experience with this aircraft (20 years) I determined that I had approximately 1/2 tank of fuel. The planned flight was to take no more than 20 minutes. At 8.5 gallons per hour burn, I was comfortable with the amount. My normal approach would be to top off the tank, but the pumps at wolf river had not to the best of my knowledge been working. When I scanned the view tube that shows fuel quantity on the rear of the tank I was satisfied that I had at least 12 gallons of fuel. With the aircraft in the resting position you cannot see the top of the fuel level from outside if there is more than 12 gallons in the tank. The start up, taxiing, and runup were all normal. I departed north at approximately 1615 and climbed to 1500MSL. Flying west over Germantown at 1620 I suddenly experienced the engine losing power. I began a slow turn to the north to return to the field and to get away from the city. Part way through the turn the engine quit. I was unsuccessful with a restart attempt. At 1200MSL I knew I had an emergency landing situation. I first rejected dogwood rd. because of cars, but a second glance showed only 1 eastbound and 2 westbound cars. I maneuvered to land east in front of the eastbound car. The second westbound car exited the road. What I did not see was the first westbound car reverse direction and head east. My gear struck the first car in on the upper left corner of the rear window. The contact caused the plane to veer to the right striking a utility pole with the right wing. Next the left wing struck a wooden mailbox and then the right stab hit a street sign. Each strike slowed the plane until it pitched over onto the spinner and turned 1/4 turn to the left and plopped down on the tailwheel. I was not injured nor was anyone on the ground. I exited the aircraft after securing all switches and fuel select valves. When the response team arrived I requested they call the FAA. This is probably more than I should say, but I have committed my life to aviation and the truth is all that flies.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) PILOT STATEMENT REF: EMERGENCY LANDING ... GERMANTOWN, TN...25 APR 01AT APPROXIMATELY 1500 CT I DEPARTED MY HOME FOR THE WOLF RIVER AIRPORT. THE WEATHER WAS VFR AND THE WINDS WERE RELATIVELY CALM. WHEN I OPENED MY HANGAR DOOR I NOTICED THE MAIN TIRES WERE A LITTLE LOW SO I INITIALLY CONCENTRATED ON GETTING BOTH TIRES PROPERLY INFLATED. I THEN INSTALLED THE BATTERY AND SET UP THE COCKPIT. I ROLLED THE AIRCRAFT TO THE DOOR SO I WOULD HAVE MORE LIGHT AND BEGAN MY PREFLIGHT. AFTER CHECKING BOTH FUEL SUMPS I PUMPED UP PRESSURE WITH THE WOBBLE PUMP TO PUT FUEL THROUGH THE PRESSURE CARBURETOR. THE WALK AROUND WAS UNEVENTFUL. AFTER OPENING THE COWLING I DOUBLE-CHECKED ALL CONNECTIONS AND TOPPED OFF THE BRAKE RESERVOIR. FINALLY, I CLIMBED UP OVER THE LEFT WHEEL STRUT, OPENED THE FUEL TANK CAP AND INSPECTGED THE FUEL QUANTITY. BASED ON MY EXPERIENCE WITH THIS AIRCRAFT (20 YEARS) I DETERMINED THAT I HAD APPROXIMATELY 1/2 TANK OF FUEL. THE PLANNED FLIGHT WAS TO TAKE NO MORE THAN 20 MINUTES. AT 8.5 GALLONS PER HOUR BURN, I WAS COMFORTABLE WITH THE AMOUNT. MY NORMAL APPROACH WOULD BE TO TOP OFF THE TANK, BUT THE PUMPS AT WOLF RIVER HAD NOT TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE BEEN WORKING. WHEN I SCANNED THE VIEW TUBE THAT SHOWS FUEL QUANTITY ON THE REAR OF THE TANK I WAS SATISFIED THAT I HAD AT LEAST 12 GALLONS OF FUEL. WITH THE AIRCRAFT IN THE RESTING POSITION YOU CANNOT SEE THE TOP OF THE FUEL LEVEL FROM OUTSIDE IF THERE IS MORE THAN 12 GALLONS IN THE TANK. THE START UP, TAXIING, AND RUNUP WERE ALL NORMAL. I DEPARTED NORTH AT APPROXIMATELY 1615 AND CLIMBED TO 1500MSL. FLYING WEST OVER GERMANTOWN AT 1620 I SUDDENLY EXPERIENCED THE ENGINE LOSING POWER. I BEGAN A SLOW TURN TO THE NORTH TO RETURN TO THE FIELD AND TO GET AWAY FROM THE CITY. PART WAY THROUGH THE TURN THE ENGINE QUIT. I WAS UNSUCCESSFUL WITH A RESTART ATTEMPT. AT 1200MSL I KNEW I HAD AN EMERGENCY LANDING SITUATION. I FIRST REJECTED DOGWOOD RD. BECAUSE OF CARS, BUT A SECOND GLANCE SHOWED ONLY 1 EASTBOUND AND 2 WESTBOUND CARS. I MANEUVERED TO LAND EAST IN FRONT OF THE EASTBOUND CAR. THE SECOND WESTBOUND CAR EXITED THE ROAD. WHAT I DID NOT SEE WAS THE FIRST WESTBOUND CAR REVERSE DIRECTION AND HEAD EAST. MY GEAR STRUCK THE FIRST CAR IN ON THE UPPER LEFT CORNER OF THE REAR WINDOW. THE CONTACT CAUSED THE PLANE TO VEER TO THE RIGHT STRIKING A UTILITY POLE WITH THE RIGHT WING. NEXT THE LEFT WING STRUCK A WOODEN MAILBOX AND THEN THE RIGHT STAB HIT A STREET SIGN. EACH STRIKE SLOWED THE PLANE UNTIL IT PITCHED OVER ONTO THE SPINNER AND TURNED 1/4 TURN TO THE LEFT AND PLOPPED DOWN ON THE TAILWHEEL. I WAS NOT INJURED NOR WAS ANYONE ON THE GROUND. I EXITED THE AIRCRAFT AFTER SECURING ALL SWITCHES AND FUEL SELECT VALVES. WHEN THE RESPONSE TEAM ARRIVED I REQUESTED THEY CALL THE FAA. THIS IS PROBABLY MORE THAN I SHOULD SAY, BUT I HAVE COMMITTED MY LIFE TO AVIATION AND THE TRUTH IS ALL THAT FLIES.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.