What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23)Airman departed with aircraft empty (no chemical onboard) enroute to another work station approximately 2 1/2 miles away. Pilot leveled off at roughly 150-200 feet AGL and established cruise flight. After setting power and propeller RPM, the pilot though fuel control selector was forward of ground idle position and thereby attempted to move the control back to the stop. A second or two later the pilot noted brief puffs of smoke from the engine exhaust and the engine flamed out. With the aircraft at minimal altitude the pilot immediately completed an off-airport landing. The only field within range of the aircraft slightly downhill for the landing. The aircraft touched down roughly 90' feet prior to impacting a pile of uprooted apple trees. Subsequently, the aircraft ended up inverted on the ground with substantial damage. The pilot remained conscious and was able to remove himself from the wreckage. There was no post-impact fire.
As the FAA filed it
(-23)AIRMAN DEPARTED WITH AIRCRAFT EMPTY (NO CHEMICAL ONBOARD) ENROUTE TO ANOTHER WORK STATION APPROXIMATELY 2 1/2 MILES AWAY. PILOT LEVELED OFF AT ROUGHLY 150-200 FEET AGL AND ESTABLISHED CRUISE FLIGHT. AFTER SETTING POWER AND PROPELLER RPM, THE PILOT THOUGH FUEL CONTROL SELECTOR WAS FORWARD OF GROUND IDLE POSITION AND THEREBY ATTEMPTED TO MOVE THE CONTROL BACK TO THE STOP. A SECOND OR TWO LATER THE PILOT NOTED BRIEF PUFFS OF SMOKE FROM THE ENGINE EXHAUST AND THE ENGINE FLAMED OUT. WITH THE AIRCRAFT AT MINIMAL ALTITUDE THE PILOT IMMEDIATELY COMPLETED AN OFF-AIRPORT LANDING. THE ONLY FIELD WITHIN RANGE OF THE AIRCRAFT SLIGHTLY DOWNHILL FOR THE LANDING. THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN ROUGHLY 90' FEET PRIOR TO IMPACTING A PILE OF UPROOTED APPLE TREES. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE AIRCRAFT ENDED UP INVERTED ON THE GROUND WITH SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE PILOT REMAINED CONSCIOUS AND WAS ABLE TO REMOVE HIMSELF FROM THE WRECKAGE. THERE WAS NO POST-IMPACT FIRE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.