What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The plt rptd that he was returning to land on rwy 23, after a one hour local flight. As he completed a left turn from base to final, the engine sputtered then quit. He then elected to deploy the acft ballistic parachute system instead of attempting an engine restart, due to the low altitude of the acft and proximity to a wooded area. The parachute deployed at about 300 ft AGL, and the acft descended into trees located just outside the arpt perimeter. The acft sustained structural damage to the right wing and other damage to the fuselage and tail surfaces, during the crash sequence. It came to rest in the trees hanging in a nose down attitude. The plt and pax were not injured. Examination of the acft after recovery revealed the following: approx 1 gal of 100LL fuel remained in each of the two 5 gal fuel tanks located behind the plt and pax seats. No evidence of any contamination was found in either of the fuel tanks. The fuel tanks had a fuel pickup tube located at the inbd rear corner of each tank, and the pickup tube openings were located about 1/2" to 3/4" above the bottom of the tanks. A short fuel line from each tank connected the pickup tubes to the engine fuel line via a single "tee" fitting. After examining the acft, an attempt was made to run the engine using the remaining fuel on board with the fuselage sitting level. The engine started within a few revolutions and developed some pwr. It was then shut down briefly to reconnect two spark plug wires that were observed to be hanging loose from tree impact damage. A second attempt was then made to start the engine; it started immediately and ran smoothly. Subsequent movement of the throttle resulted in an immediate engine response and acceleration. With regard to fuel planning, the plt reported that he had about 6 gallons on board the acft at the beginning of the flt. The acft used about 4 gph based on his prior experience, so he calculated that he had adequate reserve fuel on board for the 1 hour planned local flt. Review of the acft records revealed that the acft last received a condition inspection on 3/16/2012 at 56 hrs ttis. The acft was originally registered to the plt in April 2011. It was built in 2007, and subsequently certificated as an experimental - operating light sport acft (s-lsa) on 10/17/2007.
As the FAA filed it
THE PLT RPTD THAT HE WAS RETURNING TO LAND ON RWY 23, AFTER A ONE HOUR LOCAL FLIGHT. AS HE COMPLETED A LEFT TURN FROM BASE TO FINAL, THE ENGINE SPUTTERED THEN QUIT. HE THEN ELECTED TO DEPLOY THE ACFT BALLISTIC PARACHUTE SYSTEM INSTEAD OF ATTEMPTING AN ENGINE RESTART, DUE TO THE LOW ALTITUDE OF THE ACFT AND PROXIMITY TO A WOODED AREA. THE PARACHUTE DEPLOYED AT ABOUT 300 FT AGL, AND THE ACFT DESCENDED INTO TREES LOCATED JUST OUTSIDE THE ARPT PERIMETER.THE ACFT SUSTAINED STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO THE RIGHT WING AND OTHER DAMAGE TO THE FUSELAGE AND TAIL SURFACES, DURING THE CRASH SEQUENCE. IT CAME TO REST IN THE TREES HANGING IN A NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE. THE PLT AND PAX WERE NOT INJURED.EXAMINATION OF THE ACFT AFTER RECOVERY REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: APPROX 1 GAL OF 100LL FUEL REMAINED IN EACH OF THE TWO 5 GAL FUEL TANKS LOCATED BEHIND THE PLT AND PAX SEATS. NO EVIDENCE OF ANY CONTAMINATION WAS FOUND IN EITHER OF THE FUEL TANKS. THE FUEL TANKS HAD A FUEL PICKUP TUBE LOCATED AT THE INBD REAR CORNER OF EACH TANK, AND THE PICKUP TUBE OPENINGS WERE LOCATED ABOUT 1/2" TO 3/4" ABOVE THE BOTTOM OF THE TANKS. A SHORT FUEL LINE FROM EACH TANK CONNECTED THE PICKUP TUBES TO THE ENGINE FUEL LINE VIA A SINGLE "TEE" FITTING.AFTER EXAMINING THE ACFT, AN ATTEMPT WAS MADE TO RUN THE ENGINE USING THE REMAINING FUEL ON BOARD WITH THE FUSELAGE SITTING LEVEL. THE ENGINE STARTED WITHIN A FEW REVOLUTIONS AND DEVELOPED SOME PWR. IT WAS THEN SHUT DOWN BRIEFLY TO RECONNECT TWO SPARK PLUG WIRES THAT WERE OBSERVED TO BE HANGING LOOSE FROM TREE IMPACT DAMAGE. A SECOND ATTEMPT WAS THEN MADE TO START THE ENGINE; IT STARTED IMMEDIATELY AND RAN SMOOTHLY. SUBSEQUENT MOVEMENT OF THE THROTTLE RESULTED IN AN IMMEDIATE ENGINE RESPONSE AND ACCELERATION.WITH REGARD TO FUEL PLANNING, THE PLT REPORTED THAT HE HAD ABOUT 6 GALLONS ON BOARD THE ACFT AT THE BEGINNING OF THE FLT. THE ACFT USED ABOUT 4 GPH BASED ON HIS PRIOR EXPERIENCE, SO HE CALCULATED THAT HE HAD ADEQUATE RESERVE FUEL ON BOARD FOR THE 1 HOUR PLANNED LOCAL FLT.REVIEW OF THE ACFT RECORDS REVEALED THAT THE ACFT LAST RECEIVED A CONDITION INSPECTION ON 3/16/2012 AT 56 HRS TTIS. THE ACFT WAS ORIGINALLY REGISTERED TO THE PLT IN APRIL 2011. IT WAS BUILT IN 2007, AND SUBSEQUENTLY CERTIFICATED AS AN EXPERIMENTAL - OPERATING LIGHT SPORT ACFT (S-LSA) ON 10/17/2007.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.