What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The pilot stated he was returning from his homestead approximately 140 mile north of circle, Alaska when about 20 minutes from circle the engine quit. The aircraft landed in a burned out area of trees causing damage to the leading edge of the wings the left main wing spar and damage to the cowling, cowl boot and bent the fuselage just forward of the tail. He noticed the right fuel cap was missing on the fuel tank after the emergency landing. The pilot told us that he had put 5 gallons of fuel in the aircraft before departing his homestead in the right wing fuel tank and could not recall if he put the fuel cap back on or not after fueling his aircraft. He was also flying about 1000 feet AGL so when his engine quit he did not have time to switch fuel tanks and get the engine running again before making his landing.
Ptrs AL01201402967
As the FAA filed it
THE PILOT STATED HE WAS RETURNING FROM HIS HOMESTEAD APPROXIMATELY 140 MILE NORTH OF CIRCLE, ALASKA WHEN ABOUT 20 MINUTES FROM CIRCLE THE ENGINE QUIT. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED IN A BURNED OUT AREA OF TREES CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE LEADING EDGE OF THE WINGS THE LEFT MAIN WING SPAR AND DAMAGE TO THE COWLING, COWL BOOT AND BENT THE FUSELAGE JUST FORWARD OF THE TAIL. HE NOTICED THE RIGHT FUEL CAP WAS MISSING ON THE FUEL TANK AFTER THE EMERGENCY LANDING. THE PILOT TOLD US THAT HE HAD PUT 5 GALLONS OF FUEL IN THE AIRCRAFT BEFORE DEPARTING HIS HOMESTEAD IN THE RIGHT WING FUEL TANK AND COULD NOT RECALL IF HE PUT THE FUEL CAP BACK ON OR NOT AFTER FUELING HIS AIRCRAFT. HE WAS ALSO FLYING ABOUT 1000 FEET AGL SO WHEN HIS ENGINE QUIT HE DID NOT HAVE TIME TO SWITCH FUEL TANKS AND GET THE ENGINE RUNNING AGAIN BEFORE MAKING HIS LANDING.
PTRS AL01201402967
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.