What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The flight was performed under visual meteorological conditions (VMC) and visual flight rules (VFR). The flight originated from east hampton airport (khto), east hampton, NY. With Danbury airport (kdxr), Danbury, CT as the destination.
The pilot arrived at kdxr and was cleared by air traffic control to land on runway 35. The airplane lost power and crashed 1/2 mile from the runway 35 threshold, in a swamp, shortly before night fall. The sole occupant and pilot was not injured and contacted emergency services by mobile telephone postcrash. The crash site was secured and due to night fall it was deemed unsafe to attempt recovery of the aircraft until the following morning.
The private pilot stated there were no indications of airplane problems prior to the power loss and although he could not recall the exact amount of fuel on board he did state he checked prior to takeoff and there was sufficient fuel for the short trip.
The FAA iic observed the recovery of the aircraft the day following the crash. After the aircraft was recovered and secured, the owner supplied aircraft mechanics to perform some basic checks.
Magnetos produced spark to the spark plugs. Movement of the propeller provided for all pistons moving properly in there respective cylinders. The damage to the propeller was minimal and supported the report of power loss. The fuel tanks were drained ; approximately 4 gallons were drained from the left tank and less than a quart from the right tank. The fuel selector was positioned to the left fuel selector and all fuel gages indicated empty. Also noted is that there was no water or contamination found in the drained fuel or blockages found in fuel vents. Unusable fuel in each fuel tank is placarded as 3 gallons. The oil sump drain was removed and approximately one gallon of water was removed from the oil sump. The aircraft had been sitting nose low in the swamp water over night allowing the water entry.
The first responders were questioned if there was any fuel or oil slick on the swamp water or fuel oder during the initial rescue efforts. All answers were negative and that there was minimal concern of hazmat spills. Hazmat material plumes were placed around the aircraft for the over night until recovery efforts commenced. No indications of fuel or oil were present before or after recovery.
Although not conclusive, all indications are the aircraft lost power due to fuel exhaustion.
As the FAA filed it
THE FLIGHT WAS PERFORMED UNDER VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS (VMC) AND VISUAL FLIGHT RULES (VFR). THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM EAST HAMPTON AIRPORT (KHTO), EAST HAMPTON, NY. WITH DANBURY AIRPORT (KDXR), DANBURY, CT AS THE DESTINATION.
THE PILOT ARRIVED AT KDXR AND WAS CLEARED BY AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL TO LAND ON RUNWAY 35. THE AIRPLANE LOST POWER AND CRASHED 1/2 MILE FROM THE RUNWAY 35 THRESHOLD, IN A SWAMP, SHORTLY BEFORE NIGHT FALL. THE SOLE OCCUPANT AND PILOT WAS NOT INJURED AND CONTACTED EMERGENCY SERVICES BY MOBILE TELEPHONE POSTCRASH. THE CRASH SITE WAS SECURED AND DUE TO NIGHT FALL IT WAS DEEMED UNSAFE TO ATTEMPT RECOVERY OF THE AIRCRAFT UNTIL THE FOLLOWING MORNING.
THE PRIVATE PILOT STATED THERE WERE NO INDICATIONS OF AIRPLANE PROBLEMS PRIOR TO THE POWER LOSS AND ALTHOUGH HE COULD NOT RECALL THE EXACT AMOUNT OF FUEL ON BOARD HE DID STATE HE CHECKED PRIOR TO TAKEOFF AND THERE WAS SUFFICIENT FUEL FOR THE SHORT TRIP.
THE FAA IIC OBSERVED THE RECOVERY OF THE AIRCRAFT THE DAY FOLLOWING THE CRASH. AFTER THE AIRCRAFT WAS RECOVERED AND SECURED, THE OWNER SUPPLIED AIRCRAFT MECHANICS TO PERFORM SOME BASIC CHECKS.
MAGNETOS PRODUCED SPARK TO THE SPARK PLUGS. MOVEMENT OF THE PROPELLER PROVIDED FOR ALL PISTONS MOVING PROPERLY IN THERE RESPECTIVE CYLINDERS. THE DAMAGE TO THE PROPELLER WAS MINIMAL AND SUPPORTED THE REPORT OF POWER LOSS. THE FUEL TANKS WERE DRAINED ; APPROXIMATELY 4 GALLONS WERE DRAINED FROM THE LEFT TANK AND LESS THAN A QUART FROM THE RIGHT TANK. THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS POSITIONED TO THE LEFT FUEL SELECTOR AND ALL FUEL GAGES INDICATED EMPTY. ALSO NOTED IS THAT THERE WAS NO WATER OR CONTAMINATION FOUND IN THE DRAINED FUEL OR BLOCKAGES FOUND IN FUEL VENTS. UNUSABLE FUEL IN EACH FUEL TANK IS PLACARDED AS 3 GALLONS. THE OIL SUMP DRAIN WAS REMOVED AND APPROXIMATELY ONE GALLON OF WATER WAS REMOVED FROM THE OIL SUMP. THE AIRCRAFT HAD BEEN SITTING NOSE LOW IN THE SWAMP WATER OVER NIGHT ALLOWING THE WATER ENTRY.
THE FIRST RESPONDERS WERE QUESTIONED IF THERE WAS ANY FUEL OR OIL SLICK ON THE SWAMP WATER OR FUEL ODER DURING THE INITIAL RESCUE EFFORTS. ALL ANSWERS WERE NEGATIVE AND THAT THERE WAS MINIMAL CONCERN OF HAZMAT SPILLS. HAZMAT MATERIAL PLUMES WERE PLACED AROUND THE AIRCRAFT FOR THE OVER NIGHT UNTIL RECOVERY EFFORTS COMMENCED. NO INDICATIONS OF FUEL OR OIL WERE PRESENT BEFORE OR AFTER RECOVERY.
ALTHOUGH NOT CONCLUSIVE, ALL INDICATIONS ARE THE AIRCRAFT LOST POWER DUE TO FUEL EXHAUSTION.