What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Accident aircraft received maintenance at john jewell aircraft, inc. based at M41 on the day of the accident. Maintenance included the installation of a brs aircraft parachute. Aircraft was "topped off" with fuel by personnel at john jewell and parked with the fuel selector placed in the off position to prevent the fuel from venting overboard. Maintenance personnel advised the pilot that the fuel had been turned off while they were going over the maintenance that had been completed and the operation of the brs system. In statement provided to NTSB the pilot stated that he utilized an electronic checklist on his garmin 530 for preflight and run-up checks. Pilot stated that he touched the fuel selector and noted that it was pointed front to rear and as he expected. Pilot stated that he did not visually verify the position of the fuel selector and that he never moved it from the position it was left from maintenance. Pilot then departed runway 18 and made a left turn on course. Aircraft reached an altitude of approximately 400 feet AGL when the engine quit. Pilot failed to lower the nose immediately and the aircraft subsequently stalled. Pilot stated that with no control of the aircraft he pulled the handle on the ballistic parachute and the aircraft went from a nose low attitude to a horizontal attitude and struck the ground seconds later. Aircraft struck trees and landed hard in a wooded area.
As the FAA filed it
ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT RECEIVED MAINTENANCE AT JOHN JEWELL AIRCRAFT, INC. BASED AT M41 ON THE DAY OF THE ACCIDENT. MAINTENANCE INCLUDED THE INSTALLATION OF A BRS AIRCRAFT PARACHUTE. AIRCRAFT WAS "TOPPED OFF" WITH FUEL BY PERSONNEL AT JOHN JEWELL AND PARKED WITH THE FUEL SELECTOR PLACED IN THE OFF POSITION TO PREVENT THE FUEL FROM VENTING OVERBOARD. MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL ADVISED THE PILOT THAT THE FUEL HAD BEEN TURNED OFF WHILE THEY WERE GOING OVER THE MAINTENANCE THAT HAD BEEN COMPLETED AND THE OPERATION OF THE BRS SYSTEM. IN STATEMENT PROVIDED TO NTSB THE PILOT STATED THAT HE UTILIZED AN ELECTRONIC CHECKLIST ON HIS GARMIN 530 FOR PREFLIGHT AND RUN-UP CHECKS. PILOT STATED THAT HE TOUCHED THE FUEL SELECTOR AND NOTED THAT IT WAS POINTED FRONT TO REAR AND AS HE EXPECTED. PILOT STATED THAT HE DID NOT VISUALLY VERIFY THE POSITION OF THE FUEL SELECTOR AND THAT HE NEVER MOVED IT FROM THE POSITION IT WAS LEFT FROM MAINTENANCE. PILOT THEN DEPARTED RUNWAY 18 AND MADE A LEFT TURN ON COURSE. AIRCRAFT REACHED AN ALTITUDE OF APPROXIMATELY 400 FEET AGL WHEN THE ENGINE QUIT. PILOT FAILED TO LOWER THE NOSE IMMEDIATELY AND THE AIRCRAFT SUBSEQUENTLY STALLED. PILOT STATED THAT WITH NO CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT HE PULLED THE HANDLE ON THE BALLISTIC PARACHUTE AND THE AIRCRAFT WENT FROM A NOSE LOW ATTITUDE TO A HORIZONTAL ATTITUDE AND STRUCK THE GROUND SECONDS LATER. AIRCRAFT STRUCK TREES AND LANDED HARD IN A WOODED AREA.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.