What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
N416DH was fueled at lake norman airport (14A) just prior to it's series of flights on December 1, 2012. The aircraft departed 14A enroute to long island airpark NC26. The right fuel tank was selected for this leg. The aircraft landed at NC26. The pilot in the rear position got out of the aircraft for a short time and then returned to the aircraft. The engine was running the entire time. The tank selection remained on the right tank and the aircraft departed NC26 enroute to rowann county(ruq). Shortly after departure and at an altitude of 3, 000FT the aircraft began loosing power and misfiring. The pilot in the rear instructed the flying pilot to switch to the left tank , apply carb heat , boost pump on and mixture to rich. The aircraft continued to loose power. The pilot in the rear position took control of the aircraft. The aircraft circled a Grass strip(private Mcconnel field, 1965 tripllet rd, Mt Ulla NC) that the flying pilot had noticed 3 times then lined up to to land in a westerly direction. The aircraft was high and fast. The flying pilot tried to slip the aircraft and was to touch down about a third of the way down from the threshold of the strip. He then noticed vehicles moving about, buildings and a road. The flying pilot decided to come up over a hangar then bank the aircraft sharply to the left in an effort to make another field just beyond a tree line. When banking left the aircraft stalled and started to go into a spin . The pilot recovered from the spin as the aircraft impacted the ground in an flight level condition then traveled 35 feet in a southerly direction into the tree line. Both fuel tanks were ruptured as a result of the impact however both tanks showed no evidence of fuel. The crash site did not have any discoloration of foliage or the odor of fuel. The salvage company verified that finding and further stated no fuel in the line to the engine. At the crash site the fuel selector was to the left tank, boost pump off, mixture rich, throttle just off close stop, master off, mag off. Note the right fuel tank was removed resealed and reinstalled by the owners prior to this flight. The total time from departure from 14A to the crash site was 20 minutes. The tanks when departing 14A should have been full, 16 in each for a total of 32 with 2 unusable.
As the FAA filed it
N416DH WAS FUELED AT LAKE NORMAN AIRPORT (14A) JUST PRIOR TO IT'S SERIES OF FLIGHTS ON DECEMBER 1, 2012. THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED 14A ENROUTE TO LONG ISLAND AIRPARK NC26. THE RIGHT FUEL TANK WAS SELECTED FOR THIS LEG. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED AT NC26. THE PILOT IN THE REAR POSITION GOT OUT OF THE AIRCRAFT FOR A SHORT TIME AND THEN RETURNED TO THE AIRCRAFT. THE ENGINE WAS RUNNING THE ENTIRE TIME. THE TANK SELECTION REMAINED ON THE RIGHT TANK AND THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED NC26 ENROUTE TO ROWANN COUNTY(RUQ). SHORTLY AFTER DEPARTURE AND AT AN ALTITUDE OF 3, 000FT THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN LOOSING POWER AND MISFIRING. THE PILOT IN THE REAR INSTRUCTED THE FLYING PILOT TO SWITCH TO THE LEFT TANK , APPLY CARB HEAT , BOOST PUMP ON AND MIXTURE TO RICH. THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED TO LOOSE POWER. THE PILOT IN THE REAR POSITION TOOK CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT CIRCLED A GRASS STRIP(PRIVATE MCCONNEL FIELD, 1965 TRIPLLET RD, MT ULLA NC) THAT THE FLYING PILOT HAD NOTICED 3 TIMES THEN LINED UP TO TO LAND IN A WESTERLY DIRECTION. THE AIRCRAFT WAS HIGH AND FAST. THE FLYING PILOT TRIED TO SLIP THE AIRCRAFT AND WAS TO TOUCH DOWN ABOUT A THIRD OF THE WAY DOWN FROM THE THRESHOLD OF THE STRIP. HE THEN NOTICED VEHICLES MOVING ABOUT, BUILDINGS AND A ROAD. THE FLYING PILOT DECIDED TO COME UP OVER A HANGAR THEN BANK THE AIRCRAFT SHARPLY TO THE LEFT IN AN EFFORT TO MAKE ANOTHER FIELD JUST BEYOND A TREE LINE. WHEN BANKING LEFT THE AIRCRAFT STALLED AND STARTED TO GO INTO A SPIN . THE PILOT RECOVERED FROM THE SPIN AS THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND IN AN FLIGHT LEVEL CONDITION THEN TRAVELED 35 FEET IN A SOUTHERLY DIRECTION INTO THE TREE LINE. BOTH FUEL TANKS WERE RUPTURED AS A RESULT OF THE IMPACT HOWEVER BOTH TANKS SHOWED NO EVIDENCE OF FUEL. THE CRASH SITE DID NOT HAVE ANY DISCOLORATION OF FOLIAGE OR THE ODOR OF FUEL. THE SALVAGE COMPANY VERIFIED THAT FINDING AND FURTHER STATED NO FUEL IN THE LINE TO THE ENGINE.AT THE CRASH SITE THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS TO THE LEFT TANK, BOOST PUMP OFF, MIXTURE RICH, THROTTLE JUST OFF CLOSE STOP, MASTER OFF, MAG OFF. NOTE THE RIGHT FUEL TANK WAS REMOVED RESEALED AND REINSTALLED BY THE OWNERS PRIOR TO THIS FLIGHT. THE TOTAL TIME FROM DEPARTURE FROM 14A TO THE CRASH SITE WAS 20 MINUTES. THE TANKS WHEN DEPARTING 14A SHOULD HAVE BEEN FULL, 16 IN EACH FOR A TOTAL OF 32 WITH 2 UNUSABLE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.