What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On may 25, 2004, at approximately 1200, the allegheny FSDO notified privacy data omitted that an aircraft had made an emergency landing in a field approximately four miles south of New Castle, PA. Inspectors privacy data omitted accompanied inspector ^privac^ at the time of the notification and during the investigation. We arrived on site to find N1996V parked on a heading of approximately 185 degrees in a farm field approximately 200 feet from werner road, lawrence county, New Castle, PA 16102. There was no apparent damage, the pilot john morgan greer, #1357195, did not have any obvious injuries. Upon interviewing Mr. Greer he stated that the engine had quit, and he believed it was a fuel starvation issue. He also stated that he had the left fuel tank selected when the engine died. He also stated that prior to our arrival he had selected the right tank and the aircraft restarted, and it ran without any problems. We were also informed the aircraft had just came out of an annual inspection three weeks earlier and had only been flown a few hours since the inspection. While in for the annual inspection, the aircraft's carpet had been replaced which would have required the fuel s elector knob and plate to be removed. While being observed by inspectors privacy data omitted Mr. Greer restarted the aircraft again and let the aircraft run in all four of the fuel selector's positions (both off/right tank/both on/left tank). The engine quit when the left tank was selected. Mr. Greer then contacted privacy data omitted of haski aviation, New Castle airport and requested additional fuel and a mechanic to be brought out to the site. After arriving with the fuel and the mechanic, approximately five gallons of fuel was added to the left wing tank. Then the mechanic, privacy data omitted removed the fuel selector knob. We observed the knob and shaft were both square and neither had a key, thus allowing the knot to be placed on any of four positions.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON MAY 25, 2004, AT APPROXIMATELY 1200, THE ALLEGHENY FSDO NOTIFIED ^PRIVACY DA^ THAT AN AIRCRAFT HAD MADE AN EMERGENCY LANDING IN A FIELD APPROXIMATELY FOUR MILES SOUTH OF NEW CASTLE, PA. INSPECTORS ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ ACCOMPANIED INSPECTOR ^PRIVAC^ AT THE TIME OF THE NOTIFICATION AND DURING THE INVESTIGATION. WE ARRIVED ON SITE TO FIND N1996V PARKED ON A HEADING OF APPROXIMATELY 185 DEGREES IN A FARM FIELD APPROXIMATELY 200 FEET FROM WERNER ROAD, LAWRENCE COUNTY, NEW CASTLE, PA 16102. THERE WAS NO APPARENT DAMAGE, THE PILOT JOHN MORGAN GREER, #1357195, DID NOT HAVE ANY OBVIOUS INJURIES. UPON INTERVIEWING MR. GREER HE STATED THAT THE ENGINE HAD QUIT, AND HE BELIEVED IT WAS A FUEL STARVATION ISSUE. HE ALSO STATED THAT HE HAD THE LEFT FUEL TANK SELECTED WHEN THE ENGINE DIED. HE ALSO STATED THAT PRIOR TO OUR ARRIVAL HE HAD SELECTED THE RIGHT TANK AND THE AIRCRAFT RESTARTED, AND IT RAN WITHOUT ANY PROBLEMS. WE WERE ALSO INFORMED THE AIRCRAFT HAD JUST CAME OUT OF AN ANNUAL INSPECTION THREE WEEKS EARLIER AND HAD ONLY BEEN FLOWN A FEW HOURS SINCE THE INSPECTION. WHILE IN FOR THE ANNUAL INSPECTION, THE AIRCRAFT'S CARPET HAD BEEN REPLACED WHICH WOULD HAVE REQUIRED THE FUEL S ELECTOR KNOB AND PLATE TO BE REMOVED. WHILE BEING OBSERVED BY INSPECTORS ^PRIVACY DATA OM^ MR. GREER RESTARTED THE AIRCRAFT AGAIN AND LET THE AIRCRAFT RUN IN ALL FOUR OF THE FUEL SELECTOR'S POSITIONS (BOTH OFF/RIGHT TANK/BOTH ON/LEFT TANK). THE ENGINE QUIT WHEN THE LEFT TANK WAS SELECTED. MR. GREER THEN CONTACTED ^PRIVACY DAT^ OF HASKI AVIATION, NEW CASTLE AIRPORT AND REQUESTED ADDITIONAL FUEL AND A MECHANIC TO BE BROUGHT OUT TO THE SITE. AFTER ARRIVING WITH THE FUEL AND THE MECHANIC, APPROXIMATELY FIVE GALLONS OF FUEL WAS ADDED TO THE LEFT WING TANK. THEN THE MECHANIC, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ REMOVED THE FUEL SELECTOR KNOB. WE OBSERVED THE KNOB AND SHAFT WERE BOTH SQUARE AND NEITHER HAD A KEY, THUS ALLOWING THE KNOT TO BE PLACED ON ANY OF FOUR POSITIONS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.