What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On September 16th, 2015, at approximately 1450 UTC (0950 local time), the airman holder of a private pilot certificate was involved in an aircraft accident while performing an off-airport emergency landing, as a result of a loss of engine power. The emergency landing site was approximately 1 nautical miles east, northeast of the Jim Kelly Field Airport (klxn), Lexington, Nebraska. The pilot and passenger sustained no injuries. The aircraft, a Piper archer ii, is owned by a part 61 flying club. Visual meteorological conditions (VMC) prevailed throughout the entire area. Weather reported via the (klxn) automated weather observation system (AWOS), indicated clear skies, visibility 10 statute miles, winds 180 at 12 gust 16 knots, temperature of 26 degrees celsius, and a dew point of 18 degrees celsius.
According to the airman, at approximately 0555 local time, the aircraft departed the springfield-branson national airport (ksgf), springfield, Missouri on a cross country flight to floyd w jones lebanon airport (klbo) in VMC conditions to pick up a passenger for the next leg to (klxn). At approximately 0705 the aircraft departed(klbo) continuing the flight to (klxn). Flight following was utilized until switching to minneapolis center when flight following was cancelled due to the airman?s reluctance to climb from 4500 feet mean sea level (MSL) to 8500 (MSL) in order to remain in radar contact. The flight continued at 4500(MSL). The airman indicated that he had flown the trip with the mixture full rich due to higher than normal EGT indications on cylinders #3 and # 4 reaching redline while attempting to lean the mixture. The airman stated that the fuel indicators were at 5 gallons in the left wing and 8-10 gallons in the right wing while crossing kearny, Nebraska (approximately 33 NM from klxn). He also indicated that approximately 10 minutes later the left wing fuel was exhausted and switched to the right wing tank, continuing to klxn. According to the pilot, when within 12 minutes of (klxn), the engine began surging. He then switched multiple times between tanks attempting to keep the engine running. He ultimately switched the fuel selector to the right side tank and turned on the fuel boost pump with no success.
The airman elected to conduct a forced landing in the alfalfa field approximately one mile east, northeast of runway 19 at (klxn). Eye witness statement confirms the approach and emergency landing direction. With no power, low airspeed and altitude, the aircraft stalled when the airman attempted to avoid a row of hay bales near his projected path. The right wing struck the ground resulting in possible damage to the spar and breaking off the right main gear which had punctured the upper wing skin. The nosewheel was folded under the fuselage and the engine firewall appeared damaged.
The right wing was torn open near the leading edge approximately 1/3 inboard of the wing tip. No fuel was found under the aircraft when raised onto the trailer for recovery. The gascolator revealed just enough fuel to fill the bowl. Furthermore, approximately ¼ gallon of fuel was recovered from the wing tanks total. Photo evidence shows the propeller was stopped horizontally with no scratches or damage. The aircraft sustained substantial damage as a result of this emergency landing while the airman and passenger sustained no injuries.
No engine or aircraft anomalies were noted during the post-accident inspection that would have contributed to this engine failure other than the absence of fuel in the wings and fuel system.
As the FAA filed it
ON SEPTEMBER 16TH, 2015, AT APPROXIMATELY 1450 UTC (0950 LOCAL TIME), THE AIRMAN HOLDER OF A PRIVATE PILOT CERTIFICATE WAS INVOLVED IN AN AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT WHILE PERFORMING AN OFF-AIRPORT EMERGENCY LANDING, AS A RESULT OF A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. THE EMERGENCY LANDING SITE WAS APPROXIMATELY 1 NAUTICAL MILES EAST, NORTHEAST OF THE JIM KELLY FIELD AIRPORT (KLXN), LEXINGTON, NEBRASKA. THE PILOT AND PASSENGER SUSTAINED NO INJURIES. THE AIRCRAFT, A PIPER ARCHER II, IS OWNED BY A PART 61 FLYING CLUB. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS (VMC) PREVAILED THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE AREA. WEATHER REPORTED VIA THE (KLXN) AUTOMATED WEATHER OBSERVATION SYSTEM (AWOS), INDICATED CLEAR SKIES, VISIBILITY 10 STATUTE MILES, WINDS 180 AT 12 GUST 16 KNOTS, TEMPERATURE OF 26 DEGREES CELSIUS, AND A DEW POINT OF 18 DEGREES CELSIUS.
ACCORDING TO THE AIRMAN, AT APPROXIMATELY 0555 LOCAL TIME, THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED THE SPRINGFIELD-BRANSON NATIONAL AIRPORT (KSGF), SPRINGFIELD, MISSOURI ON A CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT TO FLOYD W JONES LEBANON AIRPORT (KLBO) IN VMC CONDITIONS TO PICK UP A PASSENGER FOR THE NEXT LEG TO (KLXN). AT APPROXIMATELY 0705 THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED(KLBO) CONTINUING THE FLIGHT TO (KLXN). FLIGHT FOLLOWING WAS UTILIZED UNTIL SWITCHING TO MINNEAPOLIS CENTER WHEN FLIGHT FOLLOWING WAS CANCELLED DUE TO THE AIRMAN?S RELUCTANCE TO CLIMB FROM 4500 FEET MEAN SEA LEVEL (MSL) TO 8500 (MSL) IN ORDER TO REMAIN IN RADAR CONTACT. THE FLIGHT CONTINUED AT 4500(MSL). THE AIRMAN INDICATED THAT HE HAD FLOWN THE TRIP WITH THE MIXTURE FULL RICH DUE TO HIGHER THAN NORMAL EGT INDICATIONS ON CYLINDERS #3 AND # 4 REACHING REDLINE WHILE ATTEMPTING TO LEAN THE MIXTURE. THE AIRMAN STATED THAT THE FUEL INDICATORS WERE AT 5 GALLONS IN THE LEFT WING AND 8-10 GALLONS IN THE RIGHT WING WHILE CROSSING KEARNY, NEBRASKA (APPROXIMATELY 33 NM FROM KLXN). HE ALSO INDICATED THAT APPROXIMATELY 10 MINUTES LATER THE LEFT WING FUEL WAS EXHAUSTED AND SWITCHED TO THE RIGHT WING TANK, CONTINUING TO KLXN. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, WHEN WITHIN 12 MINUTES OF (KLXN), THE ENGINE BEGAN SURGING. HE THEN SWITCHED MULTIPLE TIMES BETWEEN TANKS ATTEMPTING TO KEEP THE ENGINE RUNNING. HE ULTIMATELY SWITCHED THE FUEL SELECTOR TO THE RIGHT SIDE TANK AND TURNED ON THE FUEL BOOST PUMP WITH NO SUCCESS.
THE AIRMAN ELECTED TO CONDUCT A FORCED LANDING IN THE ALFALFA FIELD APPROXIMATELY ONE MILE EAST, NORTHEAST OF RUNWAY 19 AT (KLXN). EYE WITNESS STATEMENT CONFIRMS THE APPROACH AND EMERGENCY LANDING DIRECTION. WITH NO POWER, LOW AIRSPEED AND ALTITUDE, THE AIRCRAFT STALLED WHEN THE AIRMAN ATTEMPTED TO AVOID A ROW OF HAY BALES NEAR HIS PROJECTED PATH. THE RIGHT WING STRUCK THE GROUND RESULTING IN POSSIBLE DAMAGE TO THE SPAR AND BREAKING OFF THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR WHICH HAD PUNCTURED THE UPPER WING SKIN. THE NOSEWHEEL WAS FOLDED UNDER THE FUSELAGE AND THE ENGINE FIREWALL APPEARED DAMAGED.
THE RIGHT WING WAS TORN OPEN NEAR THE LEADING EDGE APPROXIMATELY 1/3 INBOARD OF THE WING TIP. NO FUEL WAS FOUND UNDER THE AIRCRAFT WHEN RAISED ONTO THE TRAILER FOR RECOVERY. THE GASCOLATOR REVEALED JUST ENOUGH FUEL TO FILL THE BOWL. FURTHERMORE, APPROXIMATELY ¼ GALLON OF FUEL WAS RECOVERED FROM THE WING TANKS TOTAL. PHOTO EVIDENCE SHOWS THE PROPELLER WAS STOPPED HORIZONTALLY WITH NO SCRATCHES OR DAMAGE. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE AS A RESULT OF THIS EMERGENCY LANDING WHILE THE AIRMAN AND PASSENGER SUSTAINED NO INJURIES.
NO ENGINE OR AIRCRAFT ANOMALIES WERE NOTED DURING THE POST-ACCIDENT INSPECTION THAT WOULD HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THIS ENGINE FAILURE OTHER THAN THE ABSENCE OF FUEL IN THE WINGS AND FUEL SYSTEM.