What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On April 3, 2004, at approximately 08:50 a.m. central daylight time, a Piper lance landed off airport following a loss of engine power while maneuvering to land at the Georgetown, Texas airport (gtu). The aircraft originally departed david wayne hooks airport (dwh) for the non-stop flight. The commercial pilot, who was flying from the right seat, and one pilot rated passenger were not injured. The aircraft sustained substantial damage due to impact with several street signs and curbs. According to the pilot, he departed dwh with the fuel selector on the right tank, then upon reaching a cruise altitude of 4,500 feet he selected the left fuel tank. Approximately eight or nine minutes from gtu he initiated a 400-foot per minute descent. He also reduced power to 23 inches of manifold pressure and switched the fuel selector from the left to the right tank. Upon reaching a pattern altitude of 1800 feet approximately four miles west of the airport, he entered a tight right downwind for runway 36. Then he reduced power to 18 inches of manifold pressure, turned on the fuel boost pump, and pushed the mixture and prop controls forward. He extended the downwind leg to further reduce speed. Upon turning base, he extended the landing gear and pushed the throttle forward but the engine would not respond. At that time he moved the throttle back and forth, verified the mixture was full rich, and verified that the fuel boost pump was on. He did not select the opposite (left) fuel tank. The pilot landed the aircraft approximately three to five miles southeast of the gtu airport on the northbound IH-35 access road just south of rr 2338.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON APRIL 3, 2004, AT APPROXIMATELY 08:50 A.M. CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A PIPER LANCE LANDED OFF AIRPORT FOLLOWING A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER WHILE MANEUVERING TO LAND AT THE GEORGETOWN, TEXAS AIRPORT (GTU). THE AIRCRAFT ORIGINALLY DEPARTED DAVID WAYNE HOOKS AIRPORT (DWH) FOR THE NON-STOP FLIGHT. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT, WHO WAS FLYING FROM THE RIGHT SEAT, AND ONE PILOT RATED PASSENGER WERE NOT INJURED. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE DUE TO IMPACT WITH SEVERAL STREET SIGNS AND CURBS. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, HE DEPARTED DWH WITH THE FUEL SELECTOR ON THE RIGHT TANK, THEN UPON REACHING A CRUISE ALTITUDE OF 4,500 FEET HE SELECTED THE LEFT FUEL TANK. APPROXIMATELY EIGHT OR NINE MINUTES FROM GTU HE INITIATED A 400-FOOT PER MINUTE DESCENT. HE ALSO REDUCED POWER TO 23 INCHES OF MANIFOLD PRESSURE AND SWITCHED THE FUEL SELECTOR FROM THE LEFT TO THE RIGHT TANK. UPON REACHING A PATTERN ALTITUDE OF 1800 FEET APPROXIMATELY FOUR MILES WEST OF THE AIRPORT, HE ENTERED A TIGHT RIGHT DOWNWIND FOR RUNWAY 36. THEN HE REDUCED POWER TO 18 INCHES OF MANIFOLD PRESSURE, TURNED ON THE FUEL BOOST PUMP, AND PUSHED THE MIXTURE AND PROP CONTROLS FORWARD. HE EXTENDED THE DOWNWIND LEG TO FURTHER REDUCE SPEED. UPON TURNING BASE, HE EXTENDED THE LANDING GEAR AND PUSHED THE THROTTLE FORWARD BUT THE ENGINE WOULD NOT RESPOND. AT THAT TIME HE MOVED THE THROTTLE BACK AND FORTH, VERIFIED THE MIXTURE WAS FULL RICH, AND VERIFIED THAT THE FUEL BOOST PUMP WAS ON. HE DID NOT SELECT THE OPPOSITE (LEFT) FUEL TANK. THE PILOT LANDED THE AIRCRAFT APPROXIMATELY THREE TO FIVE MILES SOUTHEAST OF THE GTU AIRPORT ON THE NORTHBOUND IH-35 ACCESS ROAD JUST SOUTH OF RR 2338.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.