What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
I inspected the aircraft and recorded the damage via photographs. It appears that the outer panel of the right lower wing has main spar damage and the inner part of the left upper wing has main spar damage. All switches were in their appropriate positions, fuel valve was selected to bottom (fuselage) tank. The propeller is slightly bent. Lower engine cowling is torn off. All lower wing leading edges have impact damage. There appeared to be approximately four gallons of fuel in the tank via sight tube. Aircraft was completely submerged in salt water. There was no oil or fuel spill reported by the pilot, the life guards, or the local law enforcement. 12/28/2012BEGAN investigation by removing all engine cowling and four upper spark plugs to check for compression (plugs were clean).there was compression (not measured) present in all cylinders. Began tracing the fuel system from the fuselage tank through the selector valve, boost pump, gascolator, engine fuel pump, lines to injector manifold, and injector lines. No blockage was noted. A minor amount of fuel was present in the gascolator bowldrained fuel from fuselage tank into a clean bucket. Approximately four gallons of clean sea water came out of fuel tank with no evidence of fuel present in the fuel tank. Removed magnetos, they rotated freely but could not be tested due to water intrusion, however the points were opening and closing on rotation. Engine oil was clean and full. 12/28/2012REQUESTED and received fuel reciept from self serve pump system at the venice, Florida airport. Receipt shows the pilot/owner purchased 17 gallons of 100LL fuel on November 24, 2012.requested and received flight times from pilot/owner since fueling. Times are as follows:November 24 2012 1.0 hours flight timenovember 25 2012 0.7 hours flight timedecember 05 2012 1.2 hours flight timepilot/owner stated that when he fueled on November 24 2012 he had approximately 6 gallons in the top tank which he used for taxi and run up operations, then he switched to the bottom tank for flight. An aircraft in this configuration burns approximately 10 gallons per hour at 75% power. Therefore 2.9 hours of flight time with 23 gallons on board as stated by the pilot/owner, would cause engine failure due to fuel exhaustion.
As the FAA filed it
I INSPECTED THE AIRCRAFT AND RECORDED THE DAMAGE VIA PHOTOGRAPHS. IT APPEARS THAT THE OUTER PANEL OF THE RIGHT LOWER WING HAS MAIN SPAR DAMAGE AND THE INNER PART OF THE LEFT UPPER WING HAS MAIN SPAR DAMAGE. ALL SWITCHES WERE IN THEIR APPROPRIATE POSITIONS, FUEL VALVE WAS SELECTED TO BOTTOM (FUSELAGE) TANK.THE PROPELLER IS SLIGHTLY BENT.LOWER ENGINE COWLING IS TORN OFF.ALL LOWER WING LEADING EDGES HAVE IMPACT DAMAGE.THERE APPEARED TO BE APPROXIMATELY FOUR GALLONS OF FUEL IN THE TANK VIA SIGHT TUBE.AIRCRAFT WAS COMPLETELY SUBMERGED IN SALT WATER. THERE WAS NO OIL OR FUEL SPILL REPORTED BY THE PILOT, THE LIFE GUARDS, OR THE LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT. 12/28/2012BEGAN INVESTIGATION BY REMOVING ALL ENGINE COWLING AND FOUR UPPER SPARK PLUGS TO CHECK FOR COMPRESSION (PLUGS WERE CLEAN).THERE WAS COMPRESSION (NOT MEASURED) PRESENT IN ALL CYLINDERS.BEGAN TRACING THE FUEL SYSTEM FROM THE FUSELAGE TANK THROUGH THE SELECTOR VALVE, BOOST PUMP, GASCOLATOR, ENGINE FUEL PUMP, LINES TO INJECTOR MANIFOLD, AND INJECTOR LINES. NO BLOCKAGE WAS NOTED. A MINOR AMOUNT OF FUEL WAS PRESENT IN THE GASCOLATOR BOWLDRAINED FUEL FROM FUSELAGE TANK INTO A CLEAN BUCKET. APPROXIMATELY FOUR GALLONS OF CLEAN SEA WATER CAME OUT OF FUEL TANK WITH NO EVIDENCE OF FUEL PRESENT IN THE FUEL TANK. REMOVED MAGNETOS, THEY ROTATED FREELY BUT COULD NOT BE TESTED DUE TO WATER INTRUSION, HOWEVER THE POINTS WERE OPENING AND CLOSING ON ROTATION.ENGINE OIL WAS CLEAN AND FULL. 12/28/2012REQUESTED AND RECEIVED FUEL RECIEPT FROM SELF SERVE PUMP SYSTEM AT THE VENICE, FLORIDA AIRPORT.RECEIPT SHOWS THE PILOT/OWNER PURCHASED 17 GALLONS OF 100LL FUEL ON NOVEMBER 24, 2012.REQUESTED AND RECEIVED FLIGHT TIMES FROM PILOT/OWNER SINCE FUELING. TIMES ARE AS FOLLOWS:NOVEMBER 24 2012 1.0 HOURS FLIGHT TIMENOVEMBER 25 2012 0.7 HOURS FLIGHT TIMEDECEMBER 05 2012 1.2 HOURS FLIGHT TIMEPILOT/OWNER STATED THAT WHEN HE FUELED ON NOVEMBER 24 2012 HE HAD APPROXIMATELY 6 GALLONS IN THE TOP TANK WHICH HE USED FOR TAXI AND RUN UP OPERATIONS, THEN HE SWITCHED TO THE BOTTOM TANK FOR FLIGHT. AN AIRCRAFT IN THIS CONFIGURATION BURNS APPROXIMATELY 10 GALLONS PER HOUR AT 75% POWER. THEREFORE 2.9 HOURS OF FLIGHT TIME WITH 23 GALLONS ON BOARD AS STATED BY THE PILOT/OWNER, WOULD CAUSE ENGINE FAILURE DUE TO FUEL EXHAUSTION.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.