What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The day before the accident flight, the airman stated he did a detailed preflight and run up including fuel selector valves in preparation for an upcoming trip. The day of the accident, the airman departed his home airport (no fuel available) to refuel aircraft the day prior to the long cross country. He decided to survey available property enroute. He climbed to 3000' MSL (roughly 2000' AGL)
Approximately 30 minutes into the flight, the left engine began to surge. The pilot secured the left engine and began to trim for blue line (best rate of climb single engine). He then realized the right engine was not developing any power and the right propeller was windmilling. He observed a 1500' per minute descent with little altitude remaining to trouble-shoot restarting the right engine. He selected two fields and elected the closer of the two due to power lines on the approach to the second.
The aircraft contacted the field approximately 350 feet from the perimeter barbed wire fence around the field. The left main gear was sheared off at the point of contact. The aircraft continued across the field, through the fence, across farm to market (fm) road 2159 and came to rest in the bar ditch on the other side of the road 40 degrees offset from the landing path.
The aircraft collected most of the wire from five sections of fencing. Both wings showed bending of spar, horizontal stabilizer and elevator were damaged, left and right propellers were damaged. Left main gear was destroyed, right main gear collapsed while crossing the road, aircraft nose and nose gear well are bent, main fuselage was twisted and displayed rippling in airframe skin, cabin door frame is bent and creased in lower frame. Fuel was present in both main tanks and both auxillary tanks were empty. Aircraft appears to be a total loss.
As the FAA filed it
THE DAY BEFORE THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT, THE AIRMAN STATED HE DID A DETAILED PREFLIGHT AND RUN UP INCLUDING FUEL SELECTOR VALVES IN PREPARATION FOR AN UPCOMING TRIP. THE DAY OF THE ACCIDENT, THE AIRMAN DEPARTED HIS HOME AIRPORT (NO FUEL AVAILABLE) TO REFUEL AIRCRAFT THE DAY PRIOR TO THE LONG CROSS COUNTRY. HE DECIDED TO SURVEY AVAILABLE PROPERTY ENROUTE. HE CLIMBED TO 3000' MSL (ROUGHLY 2000' AGL)
APPROXIMATELY 30 MINUTES INTO THE FLIGHT, THE LEFT ENGINE BEGAN TO SURGE. THE PILOT SECURED THE LEFT ENGINE AND BEGAN TO TRIM FOR BLUE LINE (BEST RATE OF CLIMB SINGLE ENGINE). HE THEN REALIZED THE RIGHT ENGINE WAS NOT DEVELOPING ANY POWER AND THE RIGHT PROPELLER WAS WINDMILLING. HE OBSERVED A 1500' PER MINUTE DESCENT WITH LITTLE ALTITUDE REMAINING TO TROUBLE-SHOOT RESTARTING THE RIGHT ENGINE. HE SELECTED TWO FIELDS AND ELECTED THE CLOSER OF THE TWO DUE TO POWER LINES ON THE APPROACH TO THE SECOND.
THE AIRCRAFT CONTACTED THE FIELD APPROXIMATELY 350 FEET FROM THE PERIMETER BARBED WIRE FENCE AROUND THE FIELD. THE LEFT MAIN GEAR WAS SHEARED OFF AT THE POINT OF CONTACT. THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED ACROSS THE FIELD, THROUGH THE FENCE, ACROSS FARM TO MARKET (FM) ROAD 2159 AND CAME TO REST IN THE BAR DITCH ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ROAD 40 DEGREES OFFSET FROM THE LANDING PATH.
THE AIRCRAFT COLLECTED MOST OF THE WIRE FROM FIVE SECTIONS OF FENCING. BOTH WINGS SHOWED BENDING OF SPAR, HORIZONTAL STABILIZER AND ELEVATOR WERE DAMAGED, LEFT AND RIGHT PROPELLERS WERE DAMAGED. LEFT MAIN GEAR WAS DESTROYED, RIGHT MAIN GEAR COLLAPSED WHILE CROSSING THE ROAD, AIRCRAFT NOSE AND NOSE GEAR WELL ARE BENT, MAIN FUSELAGE WAS TWISTED AND DISPLAYED RIPPLING IN AIRFRAME SKIN, CABIN DOOR FRAME IS BENT AND CREASED IN LOWER FRAME. FUEL WAS PRESENT IN BOTH MAIN TANKS AND BOTH AUXILLARY TANKS WERE EMPTY. AIRCRAFT APPEARS TO BE A TOTAL LOSS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.