What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On February 10, 2015 an amateur built aircraft a Wolfe Brooks RV-7, N513BW had departed tacoma narrows airport (ktiw) at approximately 13:15 heading towards bremerton (kptw). According to the pilot he flew to fox island and then flew over union on the hood canal. The pilot stated he then turned northwest and flew up the canal towards kptw, as he turned towards bremerton and nearing the town of Belfair the engine abruptly quit with no forewarning. The aircraft altitude was approximately 1500MSL.the pilot lowered the nose of the aircraft to maintain speed and switched fuel tanks and turned the boost pump on. The pilot engaged the starter switch multiple times with the propeller just "twiching" slightly with each attempt. At that time the pilot was looking for a suitable landing site. He determined that the best area for his landing was a gravel spit near the port of allyn boat launch. As the aircraft touched down there was an immediate deceleration from the tires in the small pea gravel and the aircraft with its momentum flipped over. Inspector brian wilson arrived on scene at approximately 16:30, he spoke with the repsponders and took pictures of the aircraft. The sheriffs department forwarded a report and pictures that took on scene. Inspector wilson stated that he was unable to move the propeller to show continuity of the drivetrain. The pilot made a statement of and forwarded to this office. Witnesses had reported that they saw the aircraft circling and then they heard the plane go silent. One witness heard the aircraft sputtering and then go silent. The coast guard had reported to inspector wilson that they had recovered approximately 20 to 25 gallons of fuel at the accident scene. An engine teardown was performed on March 2, 2015. The teardown inspection of the experimental engine revealed cranshaft seperation failure at the #3 rod journal.
As the FAA filed it
ON FEBRUARY 10, 2015 AN AMATEUR BUILT AIRCRAFT A WOLFE BROOKS RV-7, N513BW HAD DEPARTED TACOMA NARROWS AIRPORT (KTIW) AT APPROXIMATELY 13:15 HEADING TOWARDS BREMERTON (KPTW). ACCORDING TO THE PILOT HE FLEW TO FOX ISLAND AND THEN FLEW OVER UNION ON THE HOOD CANAL.THE PILOT STATED HE THEN TURNED NORTHWEST AND FLEW UP THE CANAL TOWARDS KPTW, AS HE TURNED TOWARDS BREMERTON AND NEARING THE TOWN OF BELFAIR THE ENGINE ABRUPTLY QUIT WITH NO FOREWARNING. THE AIRCRAFT ALTITUDE WAS APPROXIMATELY 1500MSL.THE PILOT LOWERED THE NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT TO MAINTAIN SPEED AND SWITCHED FUEL TANKS AND TURNED THE BOOST PUMP ON.THE PILOT ENGAGED THE STARTER SWITCH MULTIPLE TIMES WITH THE PROPELLER JUST "TWICHING" SLIGHTLY WITH EACH ATTEMPT. AT THAT TIME THE PILOT WAS LOOKING FOR A SUITABLE LANDING SITE. HE DETERMINED THAT THE BEST AREA FOR HIS LANDING WAS A GRAVEL SPIT NEAR THE PORT OF ALLYN BOAT LAUNCH. AS THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN THERE WAS AN IMMEDIATE DECELERATION FROM THE TIRES IN THE SMALL PEA GRAVEL AND THE AIRCRAFT WITH ITS MOMENTUM FLIPPED OVER. INSPECTOR BRIAN WILSON ARRIVED ON SCENE AT APPROXIMATELY 16:30, HE SPOKE WITH THE REPSPONDERS AND TOOK PICTURES OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE SHERIFFS DEPARTMENT FORWARDED A REPORT AND PICTURES THAT TOOK ON SCENE. INSPECTOR WILSON STATED THAT HE WAS UNABLE TO MOVE THE PROPELLER TO SHOW CONTINUITY OF THE DRIVETRAIN.THE PILOT MADE A STATEMENT OF AND FORWARDED TO THIS OFFICE.WITNESSES HAD REPORTED THAT THEY SAW THE AIRCRAFT CIRCLING AND THEN THEY HEARD THE PLANE GO SILENT. ONE WITNESS HEARD THE AIRCRAFT SPUTTERING AND THEN GO SILENT.THE COAST GUARD HAD REPORTED TO INSPECTOR WILSON THAT THEY HAD RECOVERED APPROXIMATELY 20 TO 25 GALLONS OF FUEL AT THE ACCIDENT SCENE. AN ENGINE TEARDOWN WAS PERFORMED ON MARCH 2, 2015. THE TEARDOWN INSPECTION OF THE EXPERIMENTAL ENGINE REVEALED CRANSHAFT SEPERATION FAILURE AT THE #3 ROD JOURNAL.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.