What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) After departing fnt pilot stated that his engine failed and he was unsuccessful in his attempt at restarting it. He attempted to make an emergency landing in a cornfield. Subsequent investigation revealed that the nose gear touched down first, and with such force that it was torn from the aircraft. The aircraft then skidded approximately 90 feet before "nosing over" and coming to rest upside down. It was discovered that the left fuel cap was not secured in place, but was secured to the aircraft by a chain. The fuel cap is red in color. Red "nick marks" were discovered around the opening of the left fuel tank extending out to approximately the length of the fuel cap retaining chain. Faint streaking was noted aft of the left fuel tank opening continuing to the trailing edge of the left wing. A fuel stain was left in the dirt below the left fuel tank opening that measured approximately 12 inches in diameter and 4 inches deep. The right fuel cap was secured in place. No fuel was found in either the left or right fuel tanks. Attempts at draining fuel from the tank sumps produced no fuel, as well. The fuel selector in the cockpit was selected to the "both position. After the aircraft was uprighted, the prop was "pulled through" which indicated that no apparent seizing of the engine had occurred. Each cylinder showed evidence of compression, along with the mechanical "clunk" of the magneto impulse coupling.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) AFTER DEPARTING FNT PILOT STATED THAT HIS ENGINE FAILED AND HE WAS UNSUCCESSFUL IN HIS ATTEMPT AT RESTARTING IT. HE ATTEMPTED TO MAKE AN EMERGENCY LANDING IN A CORNFIELD. SUBSEQUENT INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE NOSE GEAR TOUCHED DOWN FIRST, AND WITH SUCH FORCE THAT IT WAS TORN FROM THE AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT THEN SKIDDED APPROXIMATELY 90 FEET BEFORE "NOSING OVER" AND COMING TO REST UPSIDE DOWN. IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE LEFT FUEL CAP WAS NOT SECURED IN PLACE, BUT WAS SECURED TO THE AIRCRAFT BY A CHAIN. THE FUEL CAP IS RED IN COLOR. RED "NICK MARKS" WERE DISCOVERED AROUND THE OPENING OF THE LEFT FUEL TANK EXTENDING OUT TO APPROXIMATELY THE LENGTH OF THE FUEL CAP RETAINING CHAIN. FAINT STREAKING WAS NOTED AFT OF THE LEFT FUEL TANK OPENING CONTINUING TO THE TRAILING EDGE OF THE LEFT WING. A FUEL STAIN WAS LEFT IN THE DIRT BELOW THE LEFT FUEL TANK OPENING THAT MEASURED APPROXIMATELY 12 INCHES IN DIAMETER AND 4 INCHES DEEP. THE RIGHT FUEL CAP WAS SECURED IN PLACE. NO FUEL WAS FOUND IN EITHER THE LEFT OR RIGHT FUEL TANKS. ATTEMPTS AT DRAINING FUEL FROM THE TANK SUMPS PRODUCED NO FUEL, AS WELL. THE FUEL SELECTOR IN THE COCKPIT WAS SELECTED TO THE "BOTH POSITION. AFTER THE AIRCRAFT WAS UPRIGHTED, THE PROP WAS "PULLED THROUGH" WHICH INDICATED THAT NO APPARENT SEIZING OF THE ENGINE HAD OCCURRED. EACH CYLINDER SHOWED EVIDENCE OF COMPRESSION, ALONG WITH THE MECHANICAL "CLUNK" OF THE MAGNETO IMPULSE COUPLING.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.