What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The aircraft was in a slight climb at approximately 1000 - 1200 feet per minute climbing from 800 to 2000 feet towards khfd. About 8 miles from khfd the pilot noticed that the engine was running rough with a loss of power, and the aircraft was starting to descend. The pilot turned on the carburetor heat, but the engine continued to run rough and the aircraft was still losing altitude. He pushed the carburetor heat back in (off), but the engine started running worse. To avoid a ridge, he proceeded on a left turn, contacted khfd stating that he was not going to make the airport and that he was still losing altitude. He pulled the carburetor heat on again, verified that the fuel selector was on both, but had almost no power and was losing altitude. At about 400 ? 500 feet he looked for the best place to land. He had minimal power or a complete loss of power, and notified khfd that he was going down. He tried to center the aircraft onto the road and the right wing contacted a chain link fence running along the top of a concrete barrier, and was torn off of the aircraft. The aircraft came to a stop in a nose down position, tilted left with the left wing tip resting on the ground. The aircraft was destroyed in the crash.
The investigation revealed that the left wing had approximately 30 gallons of fuel, and the fuel in the right wing had spilled onto the pavement as a result of the accident. Fuel was found in the fuel bowl, the fuel line which runs from the bowl to the carburetor, and the carburetor. The fuel strainers in in the fuel bowl and the carburetor were found to be clean and unobstructed. Compression was noted on all 6 cylinders, and the magnetos were spark checked and found to be ok.
As the FAA filed it
THE AIRCRAFT WAS IN A SLIGHT CLIMB AT APPROXIMATELY 1000 - 1200 FEET PER MINUTE CLIMBING FROM 800 TO 2000 FEET TOWARDS KHFD. ABOUT 8 MILES FROM KHFD THE PILOT NOTICED THAT THE ENGINE WAS RUNNING ROUGH WITH A LOSS OF POWER, AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS STARTING TO DESCEND. THE PILOT TURNED ON THE CARBURETOR HEAT, BUT THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO RUN ROUGH AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS STILL LOSING ALTITUDE. HE PUSHED THE CARBURETOR HEAT BACK IN (OFF), BUT THE ENGINE STARTED RUNNING WORSE. TO AVOID A RIDGE, HE PROCEEDED ON A LEFT TURN, CONTACTED KHFD STATING THAT HE WAS NOT GOING TO MAKE THE AIRPORT AND THAT HE WAS STILL LOSING ALTITUDE. HE PULLED THE CARBURETOR HEAT ON AGAIN, VERIFIED THAT THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS ON BOTH, BUT HAD ALMOST NO POWER AND WAS LOSING ALTITUDE. AT ABOUT 400 ? 500 FEET HE LOOKED FOR THE BEST PLACE TO LAND. HE HAD MINIMAL POWER OR A COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER, AND NOTIFIED KHFD THAT HE WAS GOING DOWN. HE TRIED TO CENTER THE AIRCRAFT ONTO THE ROAD AND THE RIGHT WING CONTACTED A CHAIN LINK FENCE RUNNING ALONG THE TOP OF A CONCRETE BARRIER, AND WAS TORN OFF OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO A STOP IN A NOSE DOWN POSITION, TILTED LEFT WITH THE LEFT WING TIP RESTING ON THE GROUND. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED IN THE CRASH.
THE INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE LEFT WING HAD APPROXIMATELY 30 GALLONS OF FUEL, AND THE FUEL IN THE RIGHT WING HAD SPILLED ONTO THE PAVEMENT AS A RESULT OF THE ACCIDENT. FUEL WAS FOUND IN THE FUEL BOWL, THE FUEL LINE WHICH RUNS FROM THE BOWL TO THE CARBURETOR, AND THE CARBURETOR. THE FUEL STRAINERS IN IN THE FUEL BOWL AND THE CARBURETOR WERE FOUND TO BE CLEAN AND UNOBSTRUCTED. COMPRESSION WAS NOTED ON ALL 6 CYLINDERS, AND THE MAGNETOS WERE SPARK CHECKED AND FOUND TO BE OK.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.