What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
He was descending from cruising altitude of 6,000 feet for 4,000 feet when he heard a sound that resembled a crunch. After surveying the area he noticed that the right hand fuel tip tank had imploded. He said that he had been running on that tank for the majority of the flight. When he saw that the tank had imploded, he switched to the main tanks. The aircraft continued to operate normally the failure occurred. He landed at Esler field (esf) in Alexandria, LA without further incident. The aircraft was ferried to the Alexandria international (aex) airport for repairs. An inspection of the fuel system and the tank revealed an insect nest in the fuel tank's vent tube. The nest was situated in the vent tube in such a way as to preclude the pilot from seeing the obstruction on a preflight inspection.
As the FAA filed it
HE WAS DESCENDING FROM CRUISING ALTITUDE OF 6,000 FEET FOR 4,000 FEET WHEN HE HEARD A SOUND THAT RESEMBLED A CRUNCH. AFTER SURVEYING THE AREA HE NOTICED THAT THE RIGHT HAND FUEL TIP TANK HAD IMPLODED. HE SAID THAT HE HAD BEEN RUNNING ON THAT TANK FOR THE MAJORITY OF THE FLIGHT. WHEN HE SAW THAT THE TANK HAD IMPLODED, HE SWITCHED TO THE MAIN TANKS. THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED TO OPERATE NORMALLY THE FAILURE OCCURRED. HE LANDED AT ESLER FIELD (ESF) IN ALEXANDRIA, LA WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT.THE AIRCRAFT WAS FERRIED TO THE ALEXANDRIA INTERNATIONAL (AEX) AIRPORT FOR REPAIRS. AN INSPECTION OF THE FUEL SYSTEM AND THE TANK REVEALED AN INSECT NEST IN THE FUEL TANK'S VENT TUBE. THE NEST WAS SITUATED IN THE VENT TUBE IN SUCH A WAY AS TO PRECLUDE THE PILOT FROM SEEING THE OBSTRUCTION ON A PREFLIGHT INSPECTION.
Other reports on N789WF · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.