What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Pilot took off at 0930 local time from martin field, walla walla for a local pleasure flight. After climbing to approximatelty 10,600 feet and flying for about 30 minutes, pilot called walla walla tower to report a rough running engine. From that point on to crash, approximately 1 hour 45 minutes tower tapes show pilot misoriented and not answering clearly. Aircraft crashed 2 hour and 15 minutes into flight. Wreckage showed fuel mixture in full rich poistion and fuel tank in right position. Right tank was empty. Left tank had some fuel in it, butwas unable to tell how much was on board as left wing had been sitting upside down. Pilot interviewed revealed that both tanks were filled to the tabs before take-off, approx. 18 gallonsper side. The pilot did not remember ever leaning the fuel mixture nor changing fuel tanks during the flight. He had limited time in this aircraft and was used to aircraft with "both" selection on fuel tank selector.
As the FAA filed it
PILOT TOOK OFF AT 0930 LOCAL TIME FROM MARTIN FIELD, WALLA WALLA FOR A LOCAL PLEASURE FLIGHT. AFTER CLIMBING TO APPROXIMATELTY 10,600 FEET AND FLYING FOR ABOUT 30 MINUTES, PILOT CALLED WALLA WALLA TOWER TO REPORT A ROUGH RUNNING ENGINE. FROM THAT POINT ON TO CRASH, APPROXIMATELY 1 HOUR 45 MINUTES TOWER TAPES SHOW PILOT MISORIENTED AND NOT ANSWERING CLEARLY. AIRCRAFT CRASHED 2 HOUR AND 15 MINUTES INTO FLIGHT. WRECKAGE SHOWED FUEL MIXTURE IN FULL RICH POISTION AND FUEL TANK IN RIGHT POSITION. RIGHT TANK WAS EMPTY. LEFT TANK HAD SOME FUEL IN IT, BUTWAS UNABLE TO TELL HOW MUCH WAS ON BOARD AS LEFT WING HAD BEEN SITTING UPSIDE DOWN. PILOT INTERVIEWED REVEALED THAT BOTH TANKS WERE FILLED TO THE TABS BEFORE TAKE-OFF, APPROX. 18 GALLONSPER SIDE. THE PILOT DID NOT REMEMBER EVER LEANING THE FUEL MIXTURE NOR CHANGING FUEL TANKS DURING THE FLIGHT. HE HAD LIMITED TIME IN THIS AIRCRAFT AND WAS USED TO AIRCRAFT WITH "BOTH" SELECTION ON FUEL TANK SELECTOR.