What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.19) On may 26, 2002, at 1443 central daylight time, an Ercoupe (eng & research corp.) 415-C single-engine airplane, N99044, was substantially damaged when it impacted a ditch during a forced landing following a loss of engine power near Hinton, Oklahoma. The airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot. The private pilot sustained a serious injury and the passenger sustained minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a flight plan was not filed for the 14 code of federal regulations part 91 personal flight. The local flight originated from anadarko, Oklahoma, at an undetermined time. Preliminary information indicates that while in cruise flight, the pilot observed that the center fuel tank quantity gauge indicated "zero." He then looked at the left wing filler cap and observed fuel siphoning out of the tank. Subsequently, the engine lost power, and the pilot executed a forced landing to pasture. During the landing roll, the airplane impacted a ditch, which separated the nose landing gear, partially separated the left wing, and bent the right wing. (-23) pilot and passenger departed private strip near verden, OK for a pleasure flight. After approximately 45 minutes of flight time, the pilot noticed that the float gauge in the fuselage tank was showing no fuel. He then looked out at the left wing and saw fuel siphoning out of the fuel cap. He began to look for a landing area when the engine quit. He initiated an emergency landing in a pasture. The aircraft hit a ditch, knocking the nose gear from the aircraft. The aircraft then went up a slight embankment at an angle causing the left wing to be partially separated from the fuselage. The aircraft spun around 180 degrees, and came to rest approximately 53 feet from the point of initial touchdown. Inspection revealed no fuel in any of the tanks.
As the FAA filed it
(.19) ON MAY 26, 2002, AT 1443 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, AN ERCOUPE (ENG & RESEARCH CORP.) 415-C SINGLE-ENGINE AIRPLANE, N99044, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED WHEN IT IMPACTED A DITCH DURING A FORCED LANDING FOLLOWING A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER NEAR HINTON, OKLAHOMA. THE AIRPLANE WAS REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY THE PILOT. THE PRIVATE PILOT SUSTAINED A SERIOUS INJURY AND THE PASSENGER SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND A FLIGHT PLAN WAS NOT FILED FOR THE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT. THE LOCAL FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM ANADARKO, OKLAHOMA, AT AN UNDETERMINED TIME. PRELIMINARY INFORMATION INDICATES THAT WHILE IN CRUISE FLIGHT, THE PILOT OBSERVED THAT THE CENTER FUEL TANK QUANTITY GAUGE INDICATED "ZERO." HE THEN LOOKED AT THE LEFT WING FILLER CAP AND OBSERVED FUEL SIPHONING OUT OF THE TANK. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE ENGINE LOST POWER, AND THE PILOT EXECUTED A FORCED LANDING TO PASTURE. DURING THE LANDING ROLL, THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED A DITCH, WHICH SEPARATED THE NOSE LANDING GEAR, PARTIALLY SEPARATED THE LEFT WING, AND BENT THE RIGHT WING. (-23) PILOT AND PASSENGER DEPARTED PRIVATE STRIP NEAR VERDEN, OK FOR A PLEASURE FLIGHT. AFTER APPROXIMATELY 45 MINUTES OF FLIGHT TIME, THE PILOT NOTICED THAT THE FLOAT GAUGE IN THE FUSELAGE TANK WAS SHOWING NO FUEL. HE THEN LOOKED OUT AT THE LEFT WING AND SAW FUEL SIPHONING OUT OF THE FUEL CAP. HE BEGAN TO LOOK FOR A LANDING AREA WHEN THE ENGINE QUIT. HE INITIATED AN EMERGENCY LANDING IN A PASTURE. THE AIRCRAFT HIT A DITCH, KNOCKING THE NOSE GEAR FROM THE AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT THEN WENT UP A SLIGHT EMBANKMENT AT AN ANGLE CAUSING THE LEFT WING TO BE PARTIALLY SEPARATED FROM THE FUSELAGE. THE AIRCRAFT SPUN AROUND 180 DEGREES, AND CAME TO REST APPROXIMATELY 53 FEET FROM THE POINT OF INITIAL TOUCHDOWN. INSPECTION REVEALED NO FUEL IN ANY OF THE TANKS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.