What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Inspector's statement: on October 18, 2001 inspector alex hanners and myself investigated a crash involving N4784R operated by william g. roberts. Mr. Roberts stated that he was on a spray run when the engine quit. He pulled up to clear the trees and tried to restart the engine by turning the high pressure fuel boost pump on. Mr. Roberts stated that the prop was wind milling but the engine never tried to start due to having only 6-9 seconds before he landed. He landed in an open grass field north of where he was making his spray run. The aircraft touched down and bounced hitting a four foot terrace and bounced again hitting a small wash out area. The aircraft turned sideways and slid to a stop. The pilot could not have seen the terrace and washed out area due to the high johnson grass in the field. Due to the aircraft hitting the wash out area the tail of the aircraft broke off aft of the canopy area. Inspector peters and hanners examined the aircraft and removed the fuel line to the cylinder injector distributor and found minimum fuel flow on low pressure side (normal operation). Then we turn the fuel pump to the high pressure side and found some fuel flow. Inspector hannersand myself found metal particles in the engine fuel screen. We also verified that the aircraft had fuel and check the low point fuel sump and was found to be ok. It is believed that the engine fuel pump malfunction and the pilot did not have time to restart due to being at a low altitude. privacy data omitted
As the FAA filed it
(-23) INSPECTOR'S STATEMENT: ON OCTOBER 18, 2001 INSPECTOR ALEX HANNERS AND MYSELF INVESTIGATED A CRASH INVOLVING N4784R OPERATED BY WILLIAM G. ROBERTS. MR. ROBERTS STATED THAT HE WAS ON A SPRAY RUN WHEN THE ENGINE QUIT. HE PULLED UP TO CLEAR THE TREES AND TRIED TO RESTART THE ENGINE BY TURNING THE HIGH PRESSURE FUEL BOOST PUMP ON. MR. ROBERTS STATED THAT THE PROP WAS WIND MILLING BUT THE ENGINE NEVER TRIED TO START DUE TO HAVING ONLY 6-9 SECONDS BEFORE HE LANDED. HE LANDED IN AN OPEN GRASS FIELD NORTH OF WHERE HE WAS MAKING HIS SPRAY RUN. THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN AND BOUNCED HITTING A FOUR FOOT TERRACE AND BOUNCED AGAIN HITTING A SMALL WASH OUT AREA. THE AIRCRAFT TURNED SIDEWAYS AND SLID TO A STOP. THE PILOT COULD NOT HAVE SEEN THE TERRACE AND WASHED OUT AREA DUE TO THE HIGH JOHNSON GRASS IN THE FIELD. DUE TO THE AIRCRAFT HITTING THE WASH OUT AREA THE TAIL OF THE AIRCRAFT BROKE OFF AFT OF THE CANOPY AREA. INSPECTOR PETERS AND HANNERS EXAMINED THE AIRCRAFT AND REMOVED THE FUEL LINE TO THE CYLINDER INJECTOR DISTRIBUTOR AND FOUND MINIMUM FUEL FLOW ON LOW PRESSURE SIDE (NORMAL OPERATION). THEN WE TURN THE FUEL PUMP TO THE HIGH PRESSURE SIDE AND FOUND SOME FUEL FLOW. INSPECTOR HANNERSAND MYSELF FOUND METAL PARTICLES IN THE ENGINE FUEL SCREEN. WE ALSO VERIFIED THAT THE AIRCRAFT HAD FUEL AND CHECK THE LOW POINT FUEL SUMP AND WAS FOUND TO BE OK. IT IS BELIEVED THAT THE ENGINE FUEL PUMP MALFUNCTION AND THE PILOT DID NOT HAVE TIME TO RESTART DUE TO BEING AT A LOW ALTITUDE. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.