What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
privacy data omitted Stated that he departed berrien springs, MI for a short flight prior to return to berrien springs. privacy data omitted Stated that operates the aircraft every couple of months for less than an hour rather than to let the aircraft sit. privacy data omitted Said, " I obviously dont fly the aircraft enough to be proficient.privacy data omitted Stated that during take-off the fuel selector was on "main" with boost pump on high. At cruise he switched to the right tip tank then shortly after the engine stopped. privacy data omitted Stated that he then switched the fuel selector to "main" and pushed the mixture in. privacy data omitted Said, " with the engine windmilling I figured it would have started." privacy data omitted Did not indicate that he actuated the aircraft starter in an attempt to restart the aircraft engine after switching from the right tip tank to the main tanks. When asked if he privacy data omitted did a physical inspection of fuel quantity in all tanks prior to flight he said, "no I did not." I have a system in the aircraft that shows total fuel in the aircraft. I just assume there is 15 gallons in each tip tank."privacy data omitted Admitted that he did not set the boost pump to high after the engine stopped. privacy data omittedStated that he glided along the tree line in Eau Claire, MI then attempted a left turn to base leg which resulted in impact with the ground prior to turning final. privacy data omitted Did not extend the landing gear prior to impact. privacy data omitted Stated that he did not know what altitude he was cruising at when the engine stopped. privacy data omitted Said, " I was not concerned with my altitude."the right main tank was dip checked after the aircraft was raised and leveled. Approximately 2.5 inches of fuel was indicated which would be in excess of 4 inches at common center between right and left main tanks. Check of the right tip tank revealed trace amounts of fuel. The engine mounted fuel pump was removed and inspected. The fuel pump rotated freely. The fuel pump and fuel lines showed signs of trace amounts of fuel. The shear shaft was not sheared. privacy data omitted Stated, "it must have been sucking air from the empty tank. If I had another 5 gallons of fuel I would have been okay."
As the FAA filed it
^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STATED THAT HE DEPARTED BERRIEN SPRINGS, MI FOR A SHORT FLIGHT PRIOR TO RETURN TO BERRIEN SPRINGS. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STATED THAT OPERATES THE AIRCRAFT EVERY COUPLE OF MONTHS FOR LESS THAN AN HOUR RATHER THAN TO LET THE AIRCRAFT SIT. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ SAID, " I OBVIOUSLY DONT FLY THE AIRCRAFT ENOUGH TO BE PROFICIENT.^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STATED THAT DURING TAKE-OFF THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS ON "MAIN" WITH BOOST PUMP ON HIGH. AT CRUISE HE SWITCHED TO THE RIGHT TIP TANK THEN SHORTLY AFTER THE ENGINE STOPPED. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STATED THAT HE THEN SWITCHED THE FUEL SELECTOR TO "MAIN" AND PUSHED THE MIXTURE IN. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ SAID, " WITH THE ENGINE WINDMILLING I FIGURED IT WOULD HAVE STARTED." ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ DID NOT INDICATE THAT HE ACTUATED THE AIRCRAFT STARTER IN AN ATTEMPT TO RESTART THE AIRCRAFT ENGINE AFTER SWITCHING FROM THE RIGHT TIP TANK TO THE MAIN TANKS. WHEN ASKED IF HE ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ DID A PHYSICAL INSPECTION OF FUEL QUANTITY IN ALL TANKS PRIOR TO FLIGHT HE SAID, "NO I DID NOT." I HAVE A SYSTEM IN THE AIRCRAFT THAT SHOWS TOTAL FUEL IN THE AIRCRAFT. I JUST ASSUME THERE IS 15 GALLONS IN EACH TIP TANK."^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ ADMITTED THAT HE DID NOT SET THE BOOST PUMP TO HIGH AFTER THE ENGINE STOPPED. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^STATED THAT HE GLIDED ALONG THE TREE LINE IN EAU CLAIRE, MI THEN ATTEMPTED A LEFT TURN TO BASE LEG WHICH RESULTED IN IMPACT WITH THE GROUND PRIOR TO TURNING FINAL. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ DID NOT EXTEND THE LANDING GEAR PRIOR TO IMPACT. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STATED THAT HE DID NOT KNOW WHAT ALTITUDE HE WAS CRUISING AT WHEN THE ENGINE STOPPED. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ SAID, " I WAS NOT CONCERNED WITH MY ALTITUDE."THE RIGHT MAIN TANK WAS DIP CHECKED AFTER THE AIRCRAFT WAS RAISED AND LEVELED. APPROXIMATELY 2.5 INCHES OF FUEL WAS INDICATED WHICH WOULD BE IN EXCESS OF 4 INCHES AT COMMON CENTER BETWEEN RIGHT AND LEFT MAIN TANKS. CHECK OF THE RIGHT TIP TANK REVEALED TRACE AMOUNTS OF FUEL. THE ENGINE MOUNTED FUEL PUMP WAS REMOVED AND INSPECTED. THE FUEL PUMP ROTATED FREELY. THE FUEL PUMP AND FUEL LINES SHOWED SIGNS OF TRACE AMOUNTS OF FUEL. THE SHEAR SHAFT WAS NOT SHEARED. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STATED, "IT MUST HAVE BEEN SUCKING AIR FROM THE EMPTY TANK. IF I HAD ANOTHER 5 GALLONS OF FUEL I WOULD HAVE BEEN OKAY."
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N2418T · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.