What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Pilot stated and documented in his logbook that he checked fuel quantity before first flight of day. Lt tank had 9.5 gallons while rr tank had 12 gallons. Pilot flew from his private strip to geu and picked up a friend. Pilot then flew to prc then back to geu where friend departed. Pilot then flew back to private strip. As pilot approached the strip, he noticed a possible obstruction on the runway. Pilot performed a go around to take a look at the obstruction. As pilot continued over the strip, he stated that the engine stopped running. At approximately 200? AGL with power lines straight ahead and a freeway embankment to the right, pilot decide to bank to the right and land in the carrot field surrounding the strip. At some point, the right wingtip hit the ground and the aircraft came to rest on its nose in the field.
Personnel that recovered aircraft stated that no fuel was present in either tank prior to removing wings for transport. An inspection of the aircraft showed continuity in the flight and engine controls. The fuel line downstream of the header tank was removed which amounted to only a drop of fuel being drained. No further anomalies were noted with the aircraft.
The pilot stated in an interview that he believed he still had at least 7 gal of fuel based on his calculations for that day. Pilot stated that no fuel was added to aircraft after he checked quantity the morning of the accident. The pilot?s logbook showed 4 hours of flight time that day. The aircraft specification sheet for the aircraft lists a 5.6 gal/hr fuel consumption at cruise. This equates to approximately 22.4 gallons of fuel were needed for the 4 hrs of flight time with 21.5 gallons being on board the aircraft at the beginning of the day.
As the FAA filed it
PILOT STATED AND DOCUMENTED IN HIS LOGBOOK THAT HE CHECKED FUEL QUANTITY BEFORE FIRST FLIGHT OF DAY. LT TANK HAD 9.5 GALLONS WHILE RR TANK HAD 12 GALLONS. PILOT FLEW FROM HIS PRIVATE STRIP TO GEU AND PICKED UP A FRIEND. PILOT THEN FLEW TO PRC THEN BACK TO GEU WHERE FRIEND DEPARTED. PILOT THEN FLEW BACK TO PRIVATE STRIP. AS PILOT APPROACHED THE STRIP, HE NOTICED A POSSIBLE OBSTRUCTION ON THE RUNWAY. PILOT PERFORMED A GO AROUND TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE OBSTRUCTION. AS PILOT CONTINUED OVER THE STRIP, HE STATED THAT THE ENGINE STOPPED RUNNING. AT APPROXIMATELY 200? AGL WITH POWER LINES STRAIGHT AHEAD AND A FREEWAY EMBANKMENT TO THE RIGHT, PILOT DECIDE TO BANK TO THE RIGHT AND LAND IN THE CARROT FIELD SURROUNDING THE STRIP. AT SOME POINT, THE RIGHT WINGTIP HIT THE GROUND AND THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST ON ITS NOSE IN THE FIELD.
PERSONNEL THAT RECOVERED AIRCRAFT STATED THAT NO FUEL WAS PRESENT IN EITHER TANK PRIOR TO REMOVING WINGS FOR TRANSPORT. AN INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT SHOWED CONTINUITY IN THE FLIGHT AND ENGINE CONTROLS. THE FUEL LINE DOWNSTREAM OF THE HEADER TANK WAS REMOVED WHICH AMOUNTED TO ONLY A DROP OF FUEL BEING DRAINED. NO FURTHER ANOMALIES WERE NOTED WITH THE AIRCRAFT.
THE PILOT STATED IN AN INTERVIEW THAT HE BELIEVED HE STILL HAD AT LEAST 7 GAL OF FUEL BASED ON HIS CALCULATIONS FOR THAT DAY. PILOT STATED THAT NO FUEL WAS ADDED TO AIRCRAFT AFTER HE CHECKED QUANTITY THE MORNING OF THE ACCIDENT. THE PILOT?S LOGBOOK SHOWED 4 HOURS OF FLIGHT TIME THAT DAY. THE AIRCRAFT SPECIFICATION SHEET FOR THE AIRCRAFT LISTS A 5.6 GAL/HR FUEL CONSUMPTION AT CRUISE. THIS EQUATES TO APPROXIMATELY 22.4 GALLONS OF FUEL WERE NEEDED FOR THE 4 HRS OF FLIGHT TIME WITH 21.5 GALLONS BEING ON BOARD THE AIRCRAFT AT THE BEGINNING OF THE DAY.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.