What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Aircraft was topped off with fuel the night prior to flight. Preflight noted blue dye from fuel overflow on right wing below fuel vent. Aircraft engine quit after 1.5 hours of criuse flight. Pilot was able to restart engine with carb heat on and it ran for another 10-15 seconds before quiting a second time. Pilot verified fuel selector was in both position. Second attempt to restart engine by forward and aft stick movement, resulted in short burst of engine power before finally quitting. Attempted to land in a farm field but left main gear hit gate post, tearing LH gear from aircraft. Aircraft skidded along until it tipped up on it's nose, coming to a stop with tail nearly vertical. Immediately after the accident, no fuel was observed coming out of the aircraft wings. About 45 minutes later fuel was observed coming out of the right wing vent tube. When aircraft was set back down in a level attitude, the aircraft technician estimated there was between 15 and 20 gallons of fuel in the right wing, none in the left. Details provided by pilot, witnesses and the aircraft technician inspection findings of this event, suggests that the right wing fuel tank vent had very likely had an obstruction which would not allow the proper fuel flow. Supporting this possible conclusion is the blue dye stain that was on the right wing at preflight. The dye is known to leave residue. Once the aircraft was nose down and fuel and fuel weight on the vent tube could have likely disolved and obstruction, allowing fuel to once again flow as witnessed 45 minutes after the accident.
As the FAA filed it
AIRCRAFT WAS TOPPED OFF WITH FUEL THE NIGHT PRIOR TO FLIGHT. PREFLIGHT NOTED BLUE DYE FROM FUEL OVERFLOW ON RIGHT WING BELOW FUEL VENT. AIRCRAFT ENGINE QUIT AFTER 1.5 HOURS OF CRIUSE FLIGHT. PILOT WAS ABLE TO RESTART ENGINE WITH CARB HEAT ON AND IT RAN FOR ANOTHER 10-15 SECONDS BEFORE QUITING A SECOND TIME. PILOT VERIFIED FUEL SELECTOR WAS IN BOTH POSITION. SECOND ATTEMPT TO RESTART ENGINE BY FORWARD AND AFT STICK MOVEMENT, RESULTED IN SHORT BURST OF ENGINE POWER BEFORE FINALLY QUITTING. ATTEMPTED TO LAND IN A FARM FIELD BUT LEFT MAIN GEAR HIT GATE POST, TEARING LH GEAR FROM AIRCRAFT. AIRCRAFT SKIDDED ALONG UNTIL IT TIPPED UP ON IT'S NOSE, COMING TO A STOP WITH TAIL NEARLY VERTICAL. IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE ACCIDENT, NO FUEL WAS OBSERVED COMING OUT OF THE AIRCRAFT WINGS. ABOUT 45 MINUTES LATER FUEL WAS OBSERVED COMING OUT OF THE RIGHT WING VENT TUBE. WHEN AIRCRAFT WAS SET BACK DOWN IN A LEVEL ATTITUDE, THE AIRCRAFT TECHNICIAN ESTIMATED THERE WAS BETWEEN 15 AND 20 GALLONS OF FUEL IN THE RIGHT WING, NONE IN THE LEFT.DETAILS PROVIDED BY PILOT, WITNESSES AND THE AIRCRAFT TECHNICIAN INSPECTION FINDINGS OF THIS EVENT, SUGGESTS THAT THE RIGHT WING FUEL TANK VENT HAD VERY LIKELY HAD AN OBSTRUCTION WHICH WOULD NOT ALLOW THE PROPER FUEL FLOW. SUPPORTING THIS POSSIBLE CONCLUSION IS THE BLUE DYE STAIN THAT WAS ON THE RIGHT WING AT PREFLIGHT. THE DYE IS KNOWN TO LEAVE RESIDUE. ONCE THE AIRCRAFT WAS NOSE DOWN AND FUEL AND FUEL WEIGHT ON THE VENT TUBE COULD HAVE LIKELY DISOLVED AND OBSTRUCTION, ALLOWING FUEL TO ONCE AGAIN FLOW AS WITNESSED 45 MINUTES AFTER THE ACCIDENT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.