What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Pilot neglected to visually inspect fuel quantity on preflight inspection, departed chatham airport and experienced loss of engine power over Welfleet harbor after one half hour of flight. Attempts to maintain power by operating electric fuel pump and pumping the throttle were unsuccessful, and the pilot made an emergency landing on a sand bar off great island hill. Pilot stated that he had fueled the tanks at an earlier date and had flown about two hours at that time. He said the fuel gauges read less than one-half full prior to the flight in question. Based on his previous flight time since refueling, he estimated that he had a total of 10 gallons of fuel on board at take off and intended to fly for one hour. The Varga carries a total of 35 us gallons of fuel.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) PILOT NEGLECTED TO VISUALLY INSPECT FUEL QUANTITY ON PREFLIGHT INSPECTION, DEPARTED CHATHAM AIRPORT AND EXPERIENCED LOSS OF ENGINE POWER OVER WELFLEET HARBOR AFTER ONE HALF HOUR OF FLIGHT. ATTEMPTS TO MAINTAIN POWER BY OPERATING ELECTRIC FUEL PUMP AND PUMPING THE THROTTLE WERE UNSUCCESSFUL, AND THE PILOT MADE AN EMERGENCY LANDING ON A SAND BAR OFF GREAT ISLAND HILL. PILOT STATED THAT HE HAD FUELED THE TANKS AT AN EARLIER DATE AND HAD FLOWN ABOUT TWO HOURS AT THAT TIME. HE SAID THE FUEL GAUGES READ LESS THAN ONE-HALF FULL PRIOR TO THE FLIGHT IN QUESTION. BASED ON HIS PREVIOUS FLIGHT TIME SINCE REFUELING, HE ESTIMATED THAT HE HAD A TOTAL OF 10 GALLONS OF FUEL ON BOARD AT TAKE OFF AND INTENDED TO FLY FOR ONE HOUR. THE VARGA CARRIES A TOTAL OF 35 US GALLONS OF FUEL.