What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Pilot was operating the aircraft (at approximately 4,000 feet AGL) with the auxiliary tank selected when the engine sputtered and started losing power. At that point he selected the main tanks and switched on the aircraft boost pump. He stated that the engine regained power (briefly) only to lose power and again to regain power just barely clearing a house top. The right wingtip contacted the ground and the left wing tip and the forward part of the tail section contacted a metal light pole at approx. 9 feet above the ground. The pole was sheared off at its base and the aircraft's tail section was sheared off at its vertical bulkhead attachment, leaving only the control cables attached to the fuselage. The aircraft came to rest in a vacant residential lot with the wings and cockpit section extending into a cart path in the middle of a public golf course. Post accident investigation revealed a 1/4 inch air pocket as viewed through the glass, in the upper section, of the fuel strainer. The fuel selector valve contained some resistance to movement and the main tank indent position was not as positive as the (2) other positions of "off and aux. Tank."
As the FAA filed it
(-23) PILOT WAS OPERATING THE AIRCRAFT (AT APPROXIMATELY 4,000 FEET AGL) WITH THE AUXILIARY TANK SELECTED WHEN THE ENGINE SPUTTERED AND STARTED LOSING POWER. AT THAT POINT HE SELECTED THE MAIN TANKS AND SWITCHED ON THE AIRCRAFT BOOST PUMP. HE STATED THAT THE ENGINE REGAINED POWER (BRIEFLY) ONLY TO LOSE POWER AND AGAIN TO REGAIN POWER JUST BARELY CLEARING A HOUSE TOP. THE RIGHT WINGTIP CONTACTED THE GROUND AND THE LEFT WING TIP AND THE FORWARD PART OF THE TAIL SECTION CONTACTED A METAL LIGHT POLE AT APPROX. 9 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND. THE POLE WAS SHEARED OFF AT ITS BASE AND THE AIRCRAFT'S TAIL SECTION WAS SHEARED OFF AT ITS VERTICAL BULKHEAD ATTACHMENT, LEAVING ONLY THE CONTROL CABLES ATTACHED TO THE FUSELAGE. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST IN A VACANT RESIDENTIAL LOT WITH THE WINGS AND COCKPIT SECTION EXTENDING INTO A CART PATH IN THE MIDDLE OF A PUBLIC GOLF COURSE. POST ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION REVEALED A 1/4 INCH AIR POCKET AS VIEWED THROUGH THE GLASS, IN THE UPPER SECTION, OF THE FUEL STRAINER. THE FUEL SELECTOR VALVE CONTAINED SOME RESISTANCE TO MOVEMENT AND THE MAIN TANK INDENT POSITION WAS NOT AS POSITIVE AS THE (2) OTHER POSITIONS OF "OFF AND AUX. TANK."
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.