What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Aircraft N2277M landed in a field and sustained major damage. The pilot told the local police officers that he had run out of fuel. The pilot identified himself as claude tolbert. The police officer on the scene stated that the pilot appeared to be intoxicated. The identification of the pilot was questionable; the police report stated that the pilot did not have any identification in his possession. The pilot was then transported to erlanger medical center in chattanooga TN where he was in serious condition. The aircraft departed from blue ridge, GA. And landed near sale creek, TN. (25.7NM @ 16 degs from the cha airport). The aircraft landed on the crest of a hill and then proceeded down the hill for a distance of approximately 265 feet. The aircraft then crossed a ditch where the nose gear was broken off and then the aircraft continued on sliding across a gravel road. After crossing the road the aircraft impacted with several trees along a fencerow. Additional examination of the aircraft revealed that the right wing contained a quantity of fuel. The amount of fuel could not be determined with the aircraft in a nose down attitude. The fuel selector was set to the both. The flaps were in the full up position.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) AIRCRAFT N2277M LANDED IN A FIELD AND SUSTAINED MAJOR DAMAGE. THE PILOT TOLD THE LOCAL POLICE OFFICERS THAT HE HAD RUN OUT OF FUEL. THE PILOT IDENTIFIED HIMSELF AS CLAUDE TOLBERT. THE POLICE OFFICER ON THE SCENE STATED THAT THE PILOT APPEARED TO BE INTOXICATED. THE IDENTIFICATION OF THE PILOT WAS QUESTIONABLE; THE POLICE REPORT STATED THAT THE PILOT DID NOT HAVE ANY IDENTIFICATION IN HIS POSSESSION. THE PILOT WAS THEN TRANSPORTED TO ERLANGER MEDICAL CENTER IN CHATTANOOGA TN WHERE HE WAS IN SERIOUS CONDITION. THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED FROM BLUE RIDGE, GA. AND LANDED NEAR SALE CREEK, TN. (25.7NM @ 16 DEGS FROM THE CHA AIRPORT). THE AIRCRAFT LANDED ON THE CREST OF A HILL AND THEN PROCEEDED DOWN THE HILL FOR A DISTANCE OF APPROXIMATELY 265 FEET. THE AIRCRAFT THEN CROSSED A DITCH WHERE THE NOSE GEAR WAS BROKEN OFF AND THEN THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED ON SLIDING ACROSS A GRAVEL ROAD. AFTER CROSSING THE ROAD THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED WITH SEVERAL TREES ALONG A FENCEROW. ADDITIONAL EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT REVEALED THAT THE RIGHT WING CONTAINED A QUANTITY OF FUEL. THE AMOUNT OF FUEL COULD NOT BE DETERMINED WITH THE AIRCRAFT IN A NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE. THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS SET TO THE BOTH. THE FLAPS WERE IN THE FULL UP POSITION.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.