What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Acft received 20 gallons of fuel on 1/29/13. On or about the first of February, the pilot privacy data omitted ran both engines for approximately 15 minutes. An annual inspection was performed February 12, 2013. (The aircraft had accumulated 11.2 hours since the last annual). A new battery was installed. Once the battery was installed, the fuel boost pumps were turned on to check for leaks. None were noted.
On 2/15/2013 at approxmiately 1500 hours, the acft departed chino(cno) runway 8 and headed for imperial(ipl), which is 140 miles away. He received his weather briefing from a friend,privacy data omitted who had flown the route and told privacy data omitted it was "clear and unobstructed for the route. Smooth air with 30 knots of head winds going down". privacy data omitted Says when he left chino he had "42 gallons of fuel in my main tank". He expected his fuel burn to be 20 gallons for the flight. At approximately 1600 hours and approx. 19.2 miles west of the field the pilot contacted nas, el centro tower for clearance through their air space which he received. After passing nas both engines quit at the same time. He was on imperial UNICOM freq. And declared an emergency. He then turned on both boost fuel pumps and both engines restarted. They ran approximately one minute and then shut down again. He had decended to less than 2000 ft. the pilot said "it was very clear that day and although my GPS was showing the airport to be just 1.2 miles ahead, I could not see the airport and knew I had to land elsewhere". He saw a farmer's field (carrots)and attempted to land. The aircraft landed with the gear down. Heavy watering caused the gear to shear off. The aircraft slid on the belly and came to stop. The pilot received facial injuries. Afterward the pilot later realized that he had installed the VOR identifier instead of the airport identifier. This would have obviously resulted is more fuel being used than anticipated.
I will recommed 709 action and forward this case to our operations unit.
As the FAA filed it
ACFT RECEIVED 20 GALLONS OF FUEL ON 1/29/13. ON OR ABOUT THE FIRST OF FEBRUARY, THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ RAN BOTH ENGINES FOR APPROXIMATELY 15 MINUTES. AN ANNUAL INSPECTION WAS PERFORMED FEBRUARY 12, 2013. (THE AIRCRAFT HAD ACCUMULATED 11.2 HOURS SINCE THE LAST ANNUAL). A NEW BATTERY WAS INSTALLED. ONCE THE BATTERY WAS INSTALLED, THE FUEL BOOST PUMPS WERE TURNED ON TO CHECK FOR LEAKS. NONE WERE NOTED.
ON 2/15/2013 AT APPROXMIATELY 1500 HOURS, THE ACFT DEPARTED CHINO(CNO) RUNWAY 8 AND HEADED FOR IMPERIAL(IPL), WHICH IS 140 MILES AWAY. HE RECEIVED HIS WEATHER BRIEFING FROM A FRIEND,^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WHO HAD FLOWN THE ROUTE AND TOLD ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ IT WAS "CLEAR AND UNOBSTRUCTED FOR THE ROUTE. SMOOTH AIR WITH 30 KNOTS OF HEAD WINDS GOING DOWN". ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ SAYS WHEN HE LEFT CHINO HE HAD "42 GALLONS OF FUEL IN MY MAIN TANK". HE EXPECTED HIS FUEL BURN TO BE 20 GALLONS FOR THE FLIGHT. AT APPROXIMATELY 1600 HOURS AND APPROX. 19.2 MILES WEST OF THE FIELD THE PILOT CONTACTED NAS, EL CENTRO TOWER FOR CLEARANCE THROUGH THEIR AIR SPACE WHICH HE RECEIVED. AFTER PASSING NAS BOTH ENGINES QUIT AT THE SAME TIME. HE WAS ON IMPERIAL UNICOM FREQ. AND DECLARED AN EMERGENCY. HE THEN TURNED ON BOTH BOOST FUEL PUMPS AND BOTH ENGINES RESTARTED. THEY RAN APPROXIMATELY ONE MINUTE AND THEN SHUT DOWN AGAIN. HE HAD DECENDED TO LESS THAN 2000 FT. THE PILOT SAID "IT WAS VERY CLEAR THAT DAY AND ALTHOUGH MY GPS WAS SHOWING THE AIRPORT TO BE JUST 1.2 MILES AHEAD, I COULD NOT SEE THE AIRPORT AND KNEW I HAD TO LAND ELSEWHERE". HE SAW A FARMER'S FIELD (CARROTS)AND ATTEMPTED TO LAND. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED WITH THE GEAR DOWN. HEAVY WATERING CAUSED THE GEAR TO SHEAR OFF. THE AIRCRAFT SLID ON THE BELLY AND CAME TO STOP. THE PILOT RECEIVED FACIAL INJURIES. AFTERWARD THE PILOT LATER REALIZED THAT HE HAD INSTALLED THE VOR IDENTIFIER INSTEAD OF THE AIRPORT IDENTIFIER. THIS WOULD HAVE OBVIOUSLY RESULTED IS MORE FUEL BEING USED THAN ANTICIPATED.
I WILL RECOMMED 709 ACTION AND FORWARD THIS CASE TO OUR OPERATIONS UNIT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.