What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The pilot was traveling from Nevada county airport (goo) to whiteman airport (whp). The pilot departed goo with full fuel tanks. The plane was filled by Nevada county air park witch topped the plane off with 100LL, 6.9 gallons were put into the aircraft. The pilot was climbing to 7,500 feet about 20 miles south of Bakersfield when he noticed his fuel indication was between 0-6 gallons on the left tank and 3-8 gallons on the right tank. The aircraft was in turbulance and an exact measure of the fuel was difficult to see. The pilot felt uncomfortable with the amount of fuel remaining and turned towards the Bakersfield area. After the turn the pilot noticed that both fuel gauges indicated -.3 gallons in each tank. The pilot declared an emergency with Bakersfield approach. Bakersfield approach initially gave vectors to a private airstrip but the pilot was unable to locate the airstrip. The pilot was informed that Bakersfield municipal airport (L45) was notamed closed for painting and the pilot was then given instructions to Bakersfield meadows (bfl) airport. The pilot elected to mitigate the risks to residential areas and chose to land at L45. The maintenance workers were notified by employees of kern charter service that an emergency aircraft was going to land at the airport. The maintenance personel moved their equipment to the sides of the runway to make room for the landing aircraft. The pilot manuevered for the airport and flew an extremely high approach to the runway. Witness's place the aircraft at approximately 300-400 feet above the runway as the aircraft crossed the middle of the runway. The pilot landed the aircraft on the end of the runway with most of the landing rollout occuring in the dirt beyond the runway. The aircraft's nose wheel and half of the proppeller were broken from the airplane when it rolled into the soft dirt after the runway. The right main gear remained attached to the aircraft but suffered severe damage. The aircaft came to a stop in the airport,s perimeter fence. A portion of the leading edge on the left wing suffered damage, and a 3 inch by 6 inch hole occured in left side fuselage just under the pilot's door. No fuel or oil was seen leaking from the aircraft. A post accident inspection found no gas in the right tank. The left tank contained 7.5 gallons of gas according to a homemade dipstick located in the aircraft.
As the FAA filed it
THE PILOT WAS TRAVELING FROM NEVADA COUNTY AIRPORT (GOO) TO WHITEMAN AIRPORT (WHP). THE PILOT DEPARTED GOO WITH FULL FUEL TANKS. THE PLANE WAS FILLED BY NEVADA COUNTY AIR PARK WITCH TOPPED THE PLANE OFF WITH 100LL, 6.9 GALLONS WERE PUT INTO THE AIRCRAFT. THE PILOT WAS CLIMBING TO 7,500 FEET ABOUT 20 MILES SOUTH OF BAKERSFIELD WHEN HE NOTICED HIS FUEL INDICATION WAS BETWEEN 0-6 GALLONS ON THE LEFT TANK AND 3-8 GALLONS ON THE RIGHT TANK. THE AIRCRAFT WAS IN TURBULANCE AND AN EXACT MEASURE OF THE FUEL WAS DIFFICULT TO SEE. THE PILOT FELT UNCOMFORTABLE WITH THE AMOUNT OF FUEL REMAINING AND TURNED TOWARDS THE BAKERSFIELD AREA. AFTER THE TURN THE PILOT NOTICED THAT BOTH FUEL GAUGES INDICATED -.3 GALLONS IN EACH TANK. THE PILOT DECLARED AN EMERGENCY WITH BAKERSFIELD APPROACH. BAKERSFIELD APPROACH INITIALLY GAVE VECTORS TO A PRIVATE AIRSTRIP BUT THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO LOCATE THE AIRSTRIP. THE PILOT WAS INFORMED THAT BAKERSFIELD MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (L45) WAS NOTAMED CLOSED FOR PAINTING AND THE PILOT WAS THEN GIVEN INSTRUCTIONS TO BAKERSFIELD MEADOWS (BFL) AIRPORT. THE PILOT ELECTED TO MITIGATE THE RISKS TO RESIDENTIAL AREAS AND CHOSE TO LAND AT L45. THE MAINTENANCE WORKERS WERE NOTIFIED BY EMPLOYEES OF KERN CHARTER SERVICE THAT AN EMERGENCY AIRCRAFT WAS GOING TO LAND AT THE AIRPORT. THE MAINTENANCE PERSONEL MOVED THEIR EQUIPMENT TO THE SIDES OF THE RUNWAY TO MAKE ROOM FOR THE LANDING AIRCRAFT. THE PILOT MANUEVERED FOR THE AIRPORT AND FLEW AN EXTREMELY HIGH APPROACH TO THE RUNWAY. WITNESS'S PLACE THE AIRCRAFT AT APPROXIMATELY 300-400 FEET ABOVE THE RUNWAY AS THE AIRCRAFT CROSSED THE MIDDLE OF THE RUNWAY. THE PILOT LANDED THE AIRCRAFT ON THE END OF THE RUNWAY WITH MOST OF THE LANDING ROLLOUT OCCURING IN THE DIRT BEYOND THE RUNWAY. THE AIRCRAFT'S NOSE WHEEL AND HALF OF THE PROPPELLER WERE BROKEN FROM THE AIRPLANE WHEN IT ROLLED INTO THE SOFT DIRT AFTER THE RUNWAY. THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR REMAINED ATTACHED TO THE AIRCRAFT BUT SUFFERED SEVERE DAMAGE. THE AIRCAFT CAME TO A STOP IN THE AIRPORT,S PERIMETER FENCE. A PORTION OF THE LEADING EDGE ON THE LEFT WING SUFFERED DAMAGE, AND A 3 INCH BY 6 INCH HOLE OCCURED IN LEFT SIDE FUSELAGE JUST UNDER THE PILOT'S DOOR. NO FUEL OR OIL WAS SEEN LEAKING FROM THE AIRCRAFT. A POST ACCIDENT INSPECTION FOUND NO GAS IN THE RIGHT TANK. THE LEFT TANK CONTAINED 7.5 GALLONS OF GAS ACCORDING TO A HOMEMADE DIPSTICK LOCATED IN THE AIRCRAFT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.