What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) While on night cross country flight from odessa TX to prescott AZ pilot experienced fluctuations in engine RPM approximately one hour west of st. johns VOR. He was in contact with albuquerque center via flight following at 10,500 MSL when he stated that he was going to divert to Payson AZ airport. Abq cntr gave him compass and distance directions to the airport. Pilot stated his engine was "going in & out" and was squawking 7700. He stated that his vacuum light was on and the gauge was reading 0. The pilot was able to switch fuel tanks and restart the engine. However, it only ran for another minute before it quit running again. During this time the pilot was flying direct to the airport but descending. He then stated to abq cntr the engine had quit again and he thought his tanks were empty. He stated he was gliding at 75, but it did not appear that he would be able to make it to the airport. He turned on his landing light and saw trees coming up. He then flared the aircraft. It struck a tree with the outboard 1/4 of the right hand wing, and clipped a smaller tree with the left wing tip. Because of the impact with the trees, the aircraft swung around approximately 180 degrees and impacted the ground traveling backwards. The aircraft came to rest on its right side, with the right wing detached from the airframe at the wing attach points. During the investigation at the crash site, it was noted there was no indications of fuel on the ground under the aircraft and no smell of fuel in the area. A visual check of the right fuel tank was made - no fuel was visible in the tank from the filler cap. A small amount of blue colored gasoline could be drained from the right hand fuel drain (1/2 of a baby food jar). No fuel could be drained from the left hand wing as the aircraft was laying on its right hand side. It was noted that the fuel selector valve was on the left tank. When the aircraft recovery team removed the wreckage they were able to drain 21 ounces of fuel from the left fuel tank, no fuel was present in the right wing, and the fuel gascolator was less than half full.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) WHILE ON NIGHT CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT FROM ODESSA TX TO PRESCOTT AZ PILOT EXPERIENCED FLUCTUATIONS IN ENGINE RPM APPROXIMATELY ONE HOUR WEST OF ST. JOHNS VOR. HE WAS IN CONTACT WITH ALBUQUERQUE CENTER VIA FLIGHT FOLLOWING AT 10,500 MSL WHEN HE STATED THAT HE WAS GOING TO DIVERT TO PAYSON AZ AIRPORT. ABQ CNTR GAVE HIM COMPASS AND DISTANCE DIRECTIONS TO THE AIRPORT. PILOT STATED HIS ENGINE WAS "GOING IN & OUT" AND WAS SQUAWKING 7700. HE STATED THAT HIS VACUUM LIGHT WAS ON AND THE GAUGE WAS READING 0. THE PILOT WAS ABLE TO SWITCH FUEL TANKS AND RESTART THE ENGINE. HOWEVER, IT ONLY RAN FOR ANOTHER MINUTE BEFORE IT QUIT RUNNING AGAIN. DURING THIS TIME THE PILOT WAS FLYING DIRECT TO THE AIRPORT BUT DESCENDING. HE THEN STATED TO ABQ CNTR THE ENGINE HAD QUIT AGAIN AND HE THOUGHT HIS TANKS WERE EMPTY. HE STATED HE WAS GLIDING AT 75, BUT IT DID NOT APPEAR THAT HE WOULD BE ABLE TO MAKE IT TO THE AIRPORT. HE TURNED ON HIS LANDING LIGHT AND SAW TREES COMING UP. HE THEN FLARED THE AIRCRAFT. IT STRUCK A TREE WITH THE OUTBOARD 1/4 OF THE RIGHT HAND WING, AND CLIPPED A SMALLER TREE WITH THE LEFT WING TIP. BECAUSE OF THE IMPACT WITH THE TREES, THE AIRCRAFT SWUNG AROUND APPROXIMATELY 180 DEGREES AND IMPACTED THE GROUND TRAVELING BACKWARDS. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST ON ITS RIGHT SIDE, WITH THE RIGHT WING DETACHED FROM THE AIRFRAME AT THE WING ATTACH POINTS. DURING THE INVESTIGATION AT THE CRASH SITE, IT WAS NOTED THERE WAS NO INDICATIONS OF FUEL ON THE GROUND UNDER THE AIRCRAFT AND NO SMELL OF FUEL IN THE AREA. A VISUAL CHECK OF THE RIGHT FUEL TANK WAS MADE - NO FUEL WAS VISIBLE IN THE TANK FROM THE FILLER CAP. A SMALL AMOUNT OF BLUE COLORED GASOLINE COULD BE DRAINED FROM THE RIGHT HAND FUEL DRAIN (1/2 OF A BABY FOOD JAR). NO FUEL COULD BE DRAINED FROM THE LEFT HAND WING AS THE AIRCRAFT WAS LAYING ON ITS RIGHT HAND SIDE. IT WAS NOTED THAT THE FUEL SELECTOR VALVE WAS ON THE LEFT TANK. WHEN THE AIRCRAFT RECOVERY TEAM REMOVED THE WRECKAGE THEY WERE ABLE TO DRAIN 21 OUNCES OF FUEL FROM THE LEFT FUEL TANK, NO FUEL WAS PRESENT IN THE RIGHT WING, AND THE FUEL GASCOLATOR WAS LESS THAN HALF FULL.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.