What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Pilot declared mayday while in the landing pattern at the Greeley airport due to fuel exhaustion on a VFR flight from las vegas. Pilot elected to land on the highway below rather than continue approach to the runway. Pilot added some fuel and departed for the airport runway. Pilot refueled at the Greeley airport and continued flight to omaha, neb. Pilot reported no damage to the aircraft and FAA closed as an occurrence. Further investigation into the fuel exhaustion violation revealed the aircraft had hit a reflection post during the highway landing causing a dent and lower skin damage to the wing and aileron. FAA inspectors issued a condition notice at hampton, GA. Pilot elected to have repairs done prior to further flight. Fuel exhaustion had not occurred at Greeley; aircraft had experienced vapor locking due to high outside and engine cowling temperatures and air in the fuel line when pilot ran right wing tank dry prior to switching to left tank. Refueling receipts at Greeley confirmed adequate fuel reserve at landing just short of the Greeley airport. Pilot reported engine quit when he turned off the electric fuel boost switch after landing which confirmed vapor blocking fuel flow in the fuel line.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) PILOT DECLARED MAYDAY WHILE IN THE LANDING PATTERN AT THE GREELEY AIRPORT DUE TO FUEL EXHAUSTION ON A VFR FLIGHT FROM LAS VEGAS. PILOT ELECTED TO LAND ON THE HIGHWAY BELOW RATHER THAN CONTINUE APPROACH TO THE RUNWAY. PILOT ADDED SOME FUEL AND DEPARTED FOR THE AIRPORT RUNWAY. PILOT REFUELED AT THE GREELEY AIRPORT AND CONTINUED FLIGHT TO OMAHA, NEB. PILOT REPORTED NO DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT AND FAA CLOSED AS AN OCCURRENCE. FURTHER INVESTIGATION INTO THE FUEL EXHAUSTION VIOLATION REVEALED THE AIRCRAFT HAD HIT A REFLECTION POST DURING THE HIGHWAY LANDING CAUSING A DENT AND LOWER SKIN DAMAGE TO THE WING AND AILERON. FAA INSPECTORS ISSUED A CONDITION NOTICE AT HAMPTON, GA. PILOT ELECTED TO HAVE REPAIRS DONE PRIOR TO FURTHER FLIGHT. FUEL EXHAUSTION HAD NOT OCCURRED AT GREELEY; AIRCRAFT HAD EXPERIENCED VAPOR LOCKING DUE TO HIGH OUTSIDE AND ENGINE COWLING TEMPERATURES AND AIR IN THE FUEL LINE WHEN PILOT RAN RIGHT WING TANK DRY PRIOR TO SWITCHING TO LEFT TANK. REFUELING RECEIPTS AT GREELEY CONFIRMED ADEQUATE FUEL RESERVE AT LANDING JUST SHORT OF THE GREELEY AIRPORT. PILOT REPORTED ENGINE QUIT WHEN HE TURNED OFF THE ELECTRIC FUEL BOOST SWITCH AFTER LANDING WHICH CONFIRMED VAPOR BLOCKING FUEL FLOW IN THE FUEL LINE.
Other reports on N5765D · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.