What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Pilot departed phillip billard airport, topeka, KS, (top), and was enroute to lee's summit, MO, (lxt). He had switched to the auxiliary fuel source upon reaching cruise altitude, 3500 MSL. When the fuel source he had selected began to reach empty, he attempted to switch to a main source of fuel. The roll pin securing the fuel selector handle to the fuel selector valve had migrated out of the handle and shaft and rendered the handle useless, as it would no longer move the selector valve shaft. The pilot requested and received vectors from ATC to the nearest airport, which was the closed richards-gebaur airport, (gvw), but still useable in an emergency. The aircraft ran out of fuel in the selected tank before it could reach a suitable runway so the pilot made an emergency landing in a field approximately 2 miles north of gvw. On contact with the ground, the nose gear and left main landing gear separated from the aircraft. The aircraft slid several yards on the ground and impacted a 1500 pound round hay bale with the left wing. The pilot and passenger were not injured. The aircraft received substantial damage.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) PILOT DEPARTED PHILLIP BILLARD AIRPORT, TOPEKA, KS, (TOP), AND WAS ENROUTE TO LEE'S SUMMIT, MO, (LXT). HE HAD SWITCHED TO THE AUXILIARY FUEL SOURCE UPON REACHING CRUISE ALTITUDE, 3500 MSL. WHEN THE FUEL SOURCE HE HAD SELECTED BEGAN TO REACH EMPTY, HE ATTEMPTED TO SWITCH TO A MAIN SOURCE OF FUEL. THE ROLL PIN SECURING THE FUEL SELECTOR HANDLE TO THE FUEL SELECTOR VALVE HAD MIGRATED OUT OF THE HANDLE AND SHAFT AND RENDERED THE HANDLE USELESS, AS IT WOULD NO LONGER MOVE THE SELECTOR VALVE SHAFT. THE PILOT REQUESTED AND RECEIVED VECTORS FROM ATC TO THE NEAREST AIRPORT, WHICH WAS THE CLOSED RICHARDS-GEBAUR AIRPORT, (GVW), BUT STILL USEABLE IN AN EMERGENCY. THE AIRCRAFT RAN OUT OF FUEL IN THE SELECTED TANK BEFORE IT COULD REACH A SUITABLE RUNWAY SO THE PILOT MADE AN EMERGENCY LANDING IN A FIELD APPROXIMATELY 2 MILES NORTH OF GVW. ON CONTACT WITH THE GROUND, THE NOSE GEAR AND LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR SEPARATED FROM THE AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT SLID SEVERAL YARDS ON THE GROUND AND IMPACTED A 1500 POUND ROUND HAY BALE WITH THE LEFT WING. THE PILOT AND PASSENGER WERE NOT INJURED. THE AIRCRAFT RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.