What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) The student pilot of a non-certified part 61 flight school, checked fuel on preflight and the tanks were full. He left just past 0800 and flew southerly from bend to klamath falls (100 NM), did three traffic patterns, and then on an easterly heading to lakeview (65 NM), and did three more traffic patterns, and then departed on a northerly heading for bend (100 NM). He recalculated his fuel before departing the klamath and lakeview areas. Enroute about halfway, he again checked his fuel quantity gauges and calculated fuel. He still had adequate fuel indicated, but not as much as he calculated previously so he planned a diversion to sun river, which would be about 15 miles closer. About halfway to his diversion airport his gauges were alarmingly low and he was over very inhospitable terrain. He saw a paved roadway through the trees that looked suitable for landing and he thought it better to land than face a possible forced landing. He did land on the center of the road, but his wingtips extended beyond the shoulder and clipped some small Pine trees with the left wing. He then veered left and the plane was severly damaged.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) THE STUDENT PILOT OF A NON-CERTIFIED PART 61 FLIGHT SCHOOL, CHECKED FUEL ON PREFLIGHT AND THE TANKS WERE FULL. HE LEFT JUST PAST 0800 AND FLEW SOUTHERLY FROM BEND TO KLAMATH FALLS (100 NM), DID THREE TRAFFIC PATTERNS, AND THEN ON AN EASTERLY HEADING TO LAKEVIEW (65 NM), AND DID THREE MORE TRAFFIC PATTERNS, AND THEN DEPARTED ON A NORTHERLY HEADING FOR BEND (100 NM). HE RECALCULATED HIS FUEL BEFORE DEPARTING THE KLAMATH AND LAKEVIEW AREAS. ENROUTE ABOUT HALFWAY, HE AGAIN CHECKED HIS FUEL QUANTITY GAUGES AND CALCULATED FUEL. HE STILL HAD ADEQUATE FUEL INDICATED, BUT NOT AS MUCH AS HE CALCULATED PREVIOUSLY SO HE PLANNED A DIVERSION TO SUN RIVER, WHICH WOULD BE ABOUT 15 MILES CLOSER. ABOUT HALFWAY TO HIS DIVERSION AIRPORT HIS GAUGES WERE ALARMINGLY LOW AND HE WAS OVER VERY INHOSPITABLE TERRAIN. HE SAW A PAVED ROADWAY THROUGH THE TREES THAT LOOKED SUITABLE FOR LANDING AND HE THOUGHT IT BETTER TO LAND THAN FACE A POSSIBLE FORCED LANDING. HE DID LAND ON THE CENTER OF THE ROAD, BUT HIS WINGTIPS EXTENDED BEYOND THE SHOULDER AND CLIPPED SOME SMALL PINE TREES WITH THE LEFT WING. HE THEN VEERED LEFT AND THE PLANE WAS SEVERLY DAMAGED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.