What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) The pilot privacy data omitted was operating his aircraft in an unairworthy condition when he became disoriented and decided to land at the Columbia airport (F86) and entered the traffic pattern on a downwind leg for runway 01. After he determined that he would be landing downwind, he added power to climb to reenter the traffic pattern when the engine backfired, then quit. From 300' AGL he executed an emergency landing into a flooded rice field. After touchdown with landing gear extended the aircraft continued moving until the propeller and nose gear contacted a small levee causing minor damage. The pilot privacy data omitted advised that he drained both fuel tanks and determined that the probable cause of the engine failure was due to fuel starvation after running the engine on the same tank for the duration of the flight.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) THE PILOT ^PRIVACY D^ WAS OPERATING HIS AIRCRAFT IN AN UNAIRWORTHY CONDITION WHEN HE BECAME DISORIENTED AND DECIDED TO LAND AT THE COLUMBIA AIRPORT (F86) AND ENTERED THE TRAFFIC PATTERN ON A DOWNWIND LEG FOR RUNWAY 01. AFTER HE DETERMINED THAT HE WOULD BE LANDING DOWNWIND, HE ADDED POWER TO CLIMB TO REENTER THE TRAFFIC PATTERN WHEN THE ENGINE BACKFIRED, THEN QUIT. FROM 300' AGL HE EXECUTED AN EMERGENCY LANDING INTO A FLOODED RICE FIELD. AFTER TOUCHDOWN WITH LANDING GEAR EXTENDED THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED MOVING UNTIL THE PROPELLER AND NOSE GEAR CONTACTED A SMALL LEVEE CAUSING MINOR DAMAGE. THE PILOT ^PRIVACY D^ ADVISED THAT HE DRAINED BOTH FUEL TANKS AND DETERMINED THAT THE PROBABLE CAUSE OF THE ENGINE FAILURE WAS DUE TO FUEL STARVATION AFTER RUNNING THE ENGINE ON THE SAME TANK FOR THE DURATION OF THE FLIGHT.
Other reports on N6503B · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.