What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) While climbing out after performing a touch and go at the Abbeville, LA airport at approximately 200 feet AGL the engine lost power and an attempt was made to restart the engine by the flight instructor. The engine sputtered several times and an emergency landing was made off airport into a plowed sugar cane field about one mile south of the runway. No injuries were reported other then a minor cut on the flight instructor face. All personnel were taken to the local hospital as a precaution and released the same day. Preliminary investigation revealed the right fuel tank is empty and the fuel selector was on the right tank. The left fuel tank has fuel. Further investigation has revealed that the airframe fuel system was operating correctly and both wings had fuel at the time of the crash. The fuel strainer bowl shows evidence that it had hit the ground and pushed to one side allowing the right fuel tank to leak overnight onto the ground through the fuel selector which was on the right tank. Aircraft to be moved by the owner so the engine driven fuel pump and engine can be checked during an engine run up. NTSB is going to follow up by observing the fuel pump inspection and engine run.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) WHILE CLIMBING OUT AFTER PERFORMING A TOUCH AND GO AT THE ABBEVILLE, LA AIRPORT AT APPROXIMATELY 200 FEET AGL THE ENGINE LOST POWER AND AN ATTEMPT WAS MADE TO RESTART THE ENGINE BY THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR. THE ENGINE SPUTTERED SEVERAL TIMES AND AN EMERGENCY LANDING WAS MADE OFF AIRPORT INTO A PLOWED SUGAR CANE FIELD ABOUT ONE MILE SOUTH OF THE RUNWAY. NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED OTHER THEN A MINOR CUT ON THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR FACE. ALL PERSONNEL WERE TAKEN TO THE LOCAL HOSPITAL AS A PRECAUTION AND RELEASED THE SAME DAY. PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE RIGHT FUEL TANK IS EMPTY AND THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS ON THE RIGHT TANK. THE LEFT FUEL TANK HAS FUEL. FURTHER INVESTIGATION HAS REVEALED THAT THE AIRFRAME FUEL SYSTEM WAS OPERATING CORRECTLY AND BOTH WINGS HAD FUEL AT THE TIME OF THE CRASH. THE FUEL STRAINER BOWL SHOWS EVIDENCE THAT IT HAD HIT THE GROUND AND PUSHED TO ONE SIDE ALLOWING THE RIGHT FUEL TANK TO LEAK OVERNIGHT ONTO THE GROUND THROUGH THE FUEL SELECTOR WHICH WAS ON THE RIGHT TANK. AIRCRAFT TO BE MOVED BY THE OWNER SO THE ENGINE DRIVEN FUEL PUMP AND ENGINE CAN BE CHECKED DURING AN ENGINE RUN UP. NTSB IS GOING TO FOLLOW UP BY OBSERVING THE FUEL PUMP INSPECTION AND ENGINE RUN.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.