What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
While on a pleasure flight from sanford to cedar key and into the Dunnellon area. The crew of three consisted of the pilot & co-pilot whom shared the duties of the preflight inspection. Each thinking that the other verified the inspection satisfactory and complete. They left the cedar key area heading to Dunnellon, approximately 19 minutes into flight they experienced a rough running engine. Their before takeoff calculations indicated they had ample fuel for their intended flight. The emergency checklist procedures were performed as an attempted restart failed. They declared an emergency and executed an off field landing. On short final the aircraft struck a group of trees such that the left wing struck causing significant damage to the wing tip & surrounding area, separating the wing lift strut completely from the airframe, causing the plane to hit a fence, impailing it into the ground and inverting it where it came to rest. Further investigation determined substantial damage to the cockpit & cabin cross over tube, left wing & lift strut as all the rivets where sheared and significant damage to the tail fuselage area. Both doors failed at the hinges. However, there was no evidence of fuel anywhere within the accident scene, nor was any visible in either tank. Witness statements clearly state that the co-pilot took control at the time of the emergency and not the PIC during the flight.
As the FAA filed it
WHILE ON A PLEASURE FLIGHT FROM SANFORD TO CEDAR KEY AND INTO THE DUNNELLON AREA.THE CREW OF THREE CONSISTED OF THE PILOT & CO-PILOT WHOM SHARED THE DUTIES OF THE PREFLIGHT INSPECTION. EACH THINKING THAT THE OTHER VERIFIED THE INSPECTION SATISFACTORY AND COMPLETE. THEY LEFT THE CEDAR KEY AREA HEADING TO DUNNELLON, APPROXIMATELY 19 MINUTES INTO FLIGHT THEY EXPERIENCED A ROUGH RUNNING ENGINE. THEIR BEFORE TAKEOFF CALCULATIONS INDICATED THEY HAD AMPLE FUEL FOR THEIR INTENDED FLIGHT. THE EMERGENCY CHECKLIST PROCEDURES WERE PERFORMED AS AN ATTEMPTED RESTART FAILED. THEY DECLARED AN EMERGENCY AND EXECUTED AN OFF FIELD LANDING. ON SHORT FINAL THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK A GROUP OF TREES SUCH THAT THE LEFT WING STRUCK CAUSING SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO THE WING TIP & SURROUNDING AREA, SEPARATING THE WING LIFT STRUT COMPLETELY FROM THE AIRFRAME, CAUSING THE PLANE TO HIT A FENCE, IMPAILING IT INTO THE GROUND AND INVERTING IT WHERE IT CAME TO REST. FURTHER INVESTIGATION DETERMINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE COCKPIT & CABIN CROSS OVER TUBE, LEFT WING & LIFT STRUT AS ALL THE RIVETS WHERE SHEARED AND SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO THE TAIL FUSELAGE AREA. BOTH DOORS FAILED AT THE HINGES. HOWEVER, THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF FUEL ANYWHERE WITHIN THE ACCIDENT SCENE, NOR WAS ANY VISIBLE IN EITHER TANK. WITNESS STATEMENTS CLEARLY STATE THAT THE CO-PILOT TOOK CONTROL AT THE TIME OF THE EMERGENCY AND NOT THE PIC DURING THE FLIGHT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.