What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 07/10/14 the pilotprivacy data omitted flew N6222Q to functionally check out the avionics equipment he recently had repaired, his intention was to depart his home base, space center executive airport (tix), fly north along the Florida coast a little past daytona beach airport (dab), turn around and land back at tix.
He flight planned for an altitude of 5,500 feet. privacy data omitted And his passengerprivacy data omitted(a commercial pilot) performed a preflight of the aircraft together, both visually checking the fuel level in the wings, both the pilot and passenger said the right wing had a fuel level about one inch below the fuel filler port tab and the left tank fuel level was just below the tab he figured the fuel total to be about 26 gallons, enough fuel for about a two and half hours of flying, he figured the flight that day would last a little longer than an hour flight time.
The pilot said the flight went has planned, they traveled up the coast a few miles past dab and then made a 180 degree turn to the south, at this time he switched back to the left fuel tank (he stated he used the left tank for taxi and departure and switched to the right tank during cruise once he reached 5500 feet and then switched back to the left tank on his south bound leg) privacy data omitted stated at about the time he switched to the left tank for his return leg he noticed an odor of avgas in the cockpit and asked his passenger if he smelled it too, he said privacy data omitted did not smell any fuel. He had just past dunn airpark (X21) (which is about 10 miles north of tix) level at 1,200 feet and was setting up for his approach at tix, at that time the engine just instantly died, there was no warning of an impending engine failure. (He stated that during the whole flight his fuel quantity gauges were indicating correctly-both tanks showing slightly less than half full, his fuel flow gauges were working correctly).
He stated he knew he was too FAR and low to make it to tix at the time of engine failure so he decided to make a 180 degree turn to the north and try a to land at X21, he made several attempts at engine re-start, but there was no response from the engine. He soon realized he could not make it to X21 and decide to set it down on the tree line separating X21 and garden street, he quickly realized he couldn't make the trees so he set up to land the aircraft on top of large flat metal roof figuring that would be his best option to avoid any injuries to people on the ground.
He landed on top of the American paint and body collision center at stall speed in what he described has a "pancake" attitude. After the aircraft came to rest on the roof, the roof collapsed. Upon our (FAA safety inspectors) arrival at the scene we observed the aircraft completely inside the building, there was no post-crash fire. Once we gained access to the wreckage we observed no evidence of fuel in the wings or puddles of fuel on the ground. We spoke to the rescue personnel (fire department) who made the initial entry to the accident site and confirmed that they did not see or smell any fuel around the wreckage.
07/11/14: Observed recovery of aircraft, recovery performed by Florida air recovery & storage, privacy data omitted. Main wing to fuselage fuel lines disconnected no fuel in lines observed by recovery team. Aircraft extracted from building and placed on flatbed trailer. Tach time recorded as 2848.34.
As the FAA filed it
ON 07/10/14 THE PILOT^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ FLEW N6222Q TO FUNCTIONALLY CHECK OUT THE AVIONICS EQUIPMENT HE RECENTLY HAD REPAIRED, HIS INTENTION WAS TO DEPART HIS HOME BASE, SPACE CENTER EXECUTIVE AIRPORT (TIX), FLY NORTH ALONG THE FLORIDA COAST A LITTLE PAST DAYTONA BEACH AIRPORT (DAB), TURN AROUND AND LAND BACK AT TIX.
HE FLIGHT PLANNED FOR AN ALTITUDE OF 5,500 FEET. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AND HIS PASSENGER^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^(A COMMERCIAL PILOT) PERFORMED A PREFLIGHT OF THE AIRCRAFT TOGETHER, BOTH VISUALLY CHECKING THE FUEL LEVEL IN THE WINGS, BOTH THE PILOT AND PASSENGER SAID THE RIGHT WING HAD A FUEL LEVEL ABOUT ONE INCH BELOW THE FUEL FILLER PORT TAB AND THE LEFT TANK FUEL LEVEL WAS JUST BELOW THE TAB HE FIGURED THE FUEL TOTAL TO BE ABOUT 26 GALLONS, ENOUGH FUEL FOR ABOUT A TWO AND HALF HOURS OF FLYING, HE FIGURED THE FLIGHT THAT DAY WOULD LAST A LITTLE LONGER THAN AN HOUR FLIGHT TIME.
THE PILOT SAID THE FLIGHT WENT HAS PLANNED, THEY TRAVELED UP THE COAST A FEW MILES PAST DAB AND THEN MADE A 180 DEGREE TURN TO THE SOUTH, AT THIS TIME HE SWITCHED BACK TO THE LEFT FUEL TANK (HE STATED HE USED THE LEFT TANK FOR TAXI AND DEPARTURE AND SWITCHED TO THE RIGHT TANK DURING CRUISE ONCE HE REACHED 5500 FEET AND THEN SWITCHED BACK TO THE LEFT TANK ON HIS SOUTH BOUND LEG) ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STATED AT ABOUT THE TIME HE SWITCHED TO THE LEFT TANK FOR HIS RETURN LEG HE NOTICED AN ODOR OF AVGAS IN THE COCKPIT AND ASKED HIS PASSENGER IF HE SMELLED IT TOO, HE SAID ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ DID NOT SMELL ANY FUEL. HE HAD JUST PAST DUNN AIRPARK (X21) (WHICH IS ABOUT 10 MILES NORTH OF TIX) LEVEL AT 1,200 FEET AND WAS SETTING UP FOR HIS APPROACH AT TIX, AT THAT TIME THE ENGINE JUST INSTANTLY DIED, THERE WAS NO WARNING OF AN IMPENDING ENGINE FAILURE. (HE STATED THAT DURING THE WHOLE FLIGHT HIS FUEL QUANTITY GAUGES WERE INDICATING CORRECTLY-BOTH TANKS SHOWING SLIGHTLY LESS THAN HALF FULL, HIS FUEL FLOW GAUGES WERE WORKING CORRECTLY).
HE STATED HE KNEW HE WAS TOO FAR AND LOW TO MAKE IT TO TIX AT THE TIME OF ENGINE FAILURE SO HE DECIDED TO MAKE A 180 DEGREE TURN TO THE NORTH AND TRY A TO LAND AT X21, HE MADE SEVERAL ATTEMPTS AT ENGINE RE-START, BUT THERE WAS NO RESPONSE FROM THE ENGINE. HE SOON REALIZED HE COULD NOT MAKE IT TO X21 AND DECIDE TO SET IT DOWN ON THE TREE LINE SEPARATING X21 AND GARDEN STREET, HE QUICKLY REALIZED HE COULDN'T MAKE THE TREES SO HE SET UP TO LAND THE AIRCRAFT ON TOP OF LARGE FLAT METAL ROOF FIGURING THAT WOULD BE HIS BEST OPTION TO AVOID ANY INJURIES TO PEOPLE ON THE GROUND.
HE LANDED ON TOP OF THE AMERICAN PAINT AND BODY COLLISION CENTER AT STALL SPEED IN WHAT HE DESCRIBED HAS A "PANCAKE" ATTITUDE. AFTER THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST ON THE ROOF, THE ROOF COLLAPSED. UPON OUR (FAA SAFETY INSPECTORS) ARRIVAL AT THE SCENE WE OBSERVED THE AIRCRAFT COMPLETELY INSIDE THE BUILDING, THERE WAS NO POST-CRASH FIRE. ONCE WE GAINED ACCESS TO THE WRECKAGE WE OBSERVED NO EVIDENCE OF FUEL IN THE WINGS OR PUDDLES OF FUEL ON THE GROUND. WE SPOKE TO THE RESCUE PERSONNEL (FIRE DEPARTMENT) WHO MADE THE INITIAL ENTRY TO THE ACCIDENT SITE AND CONFIRMED THAT THEY DID NOT SEE OR SMELL ANY FUEL AROUND THE WRECKAGE.
07/11/14: OBSERVED RECOVERY OF AIRCRAFT, RECOVERY PERFORMED BY FLORIDA AIR RECOVERY & STORAGE, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. MAIN WING TO FUSELAGE FUEL LINES DISCONNECTED NO FUEL IN LINES OBSERVED BY RECOVERY TEAM. AIRCRAFT EXTRACTED FROM BUILDING AND PLACED ON FLATBED TRAILER. TACH TIME RECORDED AS 2848.34.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.