What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
N164BF, an experimental, amateur built RV-6 aircraft lost engine power and glided to land on the natchur parkway in KY. The aircraft touched down on the northbound lanes. To avoid impacting vehicles that the aircrft was approaching, the pilot moved the aircraft close to the center median. During deceleration, the aircraft veered sharply to the left, crossing the median, damaging the right main landing gear and respective engine mount. The aircraft then struck a guardrail at approximately 30 to 35 knots and stopped. The firewall was buckled, and there was damage to the underside of the right wing, right wing aileron and tailwheel. The pilot stated that he runs automotive gas in the right main tank and both auxiliary tanks, and 100LL avgas in the left main tank. Aux tanks are only used on long trips. They had not been used for approximately 8 - 9 months before the accident trip. The pilot stated that he thought he had drained the aux tanks completely, but he stated there is a chance the right side was not completely empty. For the first time in 8 - 9 months, the aux tanks were topped off for the accident trip. The pilot stated that he departed and climbed to altitude, utilizing 100LL fuel out of the left main fuel tank as normal. Once reaching altitude, the pilot stated that he switched the fuel selector to aux tanks. He stated that the aircraft ran for a little bit and then "stumbled." He put the electric boost pump on and did not get fuel pressure indication. He switched back to the left main tank and was unable to get the engine running again. Investigation revealed contamination completely blocking the fuel inlet screen to the carburetor. An oily substance that appeared like varnish from old auto gas was found in fuel lines, electric boost pump and electric fuel pump screen. The fuel smelled of varnish. Indications of the substance were traced from the carburetor inlet back through the system to the right auxiliary tank. Visual inspection of the right auxiliary tank revealed the varnish type substance in a dried state on the bottom of the fuel tank. When aux tanks were selected during cruise flight, contamination from the right auxiliary tank may have been pushed through the system, clogging the fuel screens, preventing the possibility of restart. Counseling of pilot on fuel procedures has been completed. A safety recomendation will be submitted for this event.
As the FAA filed it
N164BF, AN EXPERIMENTAL, AMATEUR BUILT RV-6 AIRCRAFT LOST ENGINE POWER AND GLIDED TO LAND ON THE NATCHUR PARKWAY IN KY. THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN ON THE NORTHBOUND LANES. TO AVOID IMPACTING VEHICLES THAT THE AIRCRFT WAS APPROACHING, THE PILOT MOVED THE AIRCRAFT CLOSE TO THE CENTER MEDIAN. DURING DECELERATION, THE AIRCRAFT VEERED SHARPLY TO THE LEFT, CROSSING THE MEDIAN, DAMAGING THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR AND RESPECTIVE ENGINE MOUNT. THE AIRCRAFT THEN STRUCK A GUARDRAIL AT APPROXIMATELY 30 TO 35 KNOTS AND STOPPED. THE FIREWALL WAS BUCKLED, AND THERE WAS DAMAGE TO THE UNDERSIDE OF THE RIGHT WING, RIGHT WING AILERON AND TAILWHEEL. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE RUNS AUTOMOTIVE GAS IN THE RIGHT MAIN TANK AND BOTH AUXILIARY TANKS, AND 100LL AVGAS IN THE LEFT MAIN TANK. AUX TANKS ARE ONLY USED ON LONG TRIPS. THEY HAD NOT BEEN USED FOR APPROXIMATELY 8 - 9 MONTHS BEFORE THE ACCIDENT TRIP. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE THOUGHT HE HAD DRAINED THE AUX TANKS COMPLETELY, BUT HE STATED THERE IS A CHANCE THE RIGHT SIDE WAS NOT COMPLETELY EMPTY. FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 8 - 9 MONTHS, THE AUX TANKS WERE TOPPED OFF FOR THE ACCIDENT TRIP. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE DEPARTED AND CLIMBED TO ALTITUDE, UTILIZING 100LL FUEL OUT OF THE LEFT MAIN FUEL TANK AS NORMAL. ONCE REACHING ALTITUDE, THE PILOT STATED THAT HE SWITCHED THE FUEL SELECTOR TO AUX TANKS. HE STATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT RAN FOR A LITTLE BIT AND THEN "STUMBLED." HE PUT THE ELECTRIC BOOST PUMP ON AND DID NOT GET FUEL PRESSURE INDICATION. HE SWITCHED BACK TO THE LEFT MAIN TANK AND WAS UNABLE TO GET THE ENGINE RUNNING AGAIN. INVESTIGATION REVEALED CONTAMINATION COMPLETELY BLOCKING THE FUEL INLET SCREEN TO THE CARBURETOR. AN OILY SUBSTANCE THAT APPEARED LIKE VARNISH FROM OLD AUTO GAS WAS FOUND IN FUEL LINES, ELECTRIC BOOST PUMP AND ELECTRIC FUEL PUMP SCREEN. THE FUEL SMELLED OF VARNISH. INDICATIONS OF THE SUBSTANCE WERE TRACED FROM THE CARBURETOR INLET BACK THROUGH THE SYSTEM TO THE RIGHT AUXILIARY TANK. VISUAL INSPECTION OF THE RIGHT AUXILIARY TANK REVEALED THE VARNISH TYPE SUBSTANCE IN A DRIED STATE ON THE BOTTOM OF THE FUEL TANK. WHEN AUX TANKS WERE SELECTED DURING CRUISE FLIGHT, CONTAMINATION FROM THE RIGHT AUXILIARY TANK MAY HAVE BEEN PUSHED THROUGH THE SYSTEM, CLOGGING THE FUEL SCREENS, PREVENTING THE POSSIBILITY OF RESTART. COUNSELING OF PILOT ON FUEL PROCEDURES HAS BEEN COMPLETED. A SAFETY RECOMENDATION WILL BE SUBMITTED FOR THIS EVENT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.