What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) The aircraft departed runway 30 at mae from what appears to be a "touch and go" landing according to a witness statement. The aircraft may also have been returning to mae, home base for the aircraft, from a cross country flight. The aircraft was observed to crash off the airport boundary, at the departure end of runway 30, at ave 17. Inspection of the aircraft at site determined that no fuel was in the left or right main fuel tank. No additional fuel tank installations were noted. The right forward door post and fuel line was severed by responding fire (Madera, CA) dept for removal of the right front seat passenger. The incident commander reported that no fuel was spilled. Recovery of the aircraft found no fuel in the aircraft. Propeller damage is consistent with a loss of engine power. The fuel tank selector was found to be selected to the left main (wing) tank. The throttle was in the open position, the mixture was in the full rich position and the prop control (RPM) was in the high RPM position. The pilot and passenger are still under medical care and are not availale for interview or block 31 pilot data. FAA form 8020-23 will be amended if information becomes available.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED RUNWAY 30 AT MAE FROM WHAT APPEARS TO BE A "TOUCH AND GO" LANDING ACCORDING TO A WITNESS STATEMENT. THE AIRCRAFT MAY ALSO HAVE BEEN RETURNING TO MAE, HOME BASE FOR THE AIRCRAFT, FROM A CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS OBSERVED TO CRASH OFF THE AIRPORT BOUNDARY, AT THE DEPARTURE END OF RUNWAY 30, AT AVE 17. INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT AT SITE DETERMINED THAT NO FUEL WAS IN THE LEFT OR RIGHT MAIN FUEL TANK. NO ADDITIONAL FUEL TANK INSTALLATIONS WERE NOTED. THE RIGHT FORWARD DOOR POST AND FUEL LINE WAS SEVERED BY RESPONDING FIRE (MADERA, CA) DEPT FOR REMOVAL OF THE RIGHT FRONT SEAT PASSENGER. THE INCIDENT COMMANDER REPORTED THAT NO FUEL WAS SPILLED. RECOVERY OF THE AIRCRAFT FOUND NO FUEL IN THE AIRCRAFT. PROPELLER DAMAGE IS CONSISTENT WITH A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. THE FUEL TANK SELECTOR WAS FOUND TO BE SELECTED TO THE LEFT MAIN (WING) TANK. THE THROTTLE WAS IN THE OPEN POSITION, THE MIXTURE WAS IN THE FULL RICH POSITION AND THE PROP CONTROL (RPM) WAS IN THE HIGH RPM POSITION. THE PILOT AND PASSENGER ARE STILL UNDER MEDICAL CARE AND ARE NOT AVAILALE FOR INTERVIEW OR BLOCK 31 PILOT DATA. FAA FORM 8020-23 WILL BE AMENDED IF INFORMATION BECOMES AVAILABLE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.