What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Ground mark indications show the left hand wing striking the ground first. An indication of the left hand main landing gear and then the aircraft engine after that. Evidence of only one propeller blade striking the ground was found.
The marks indicate a general heading of north east, and the aircraft came to rest on a heading of approximately south to southwest.
The aircraft left main landing gear was folded beneath the aircraft. The aircraft throttle and mixture were full forward, mechanical gyro was showing fiftyfive degrees left wing down. The engine had lubricant and the oil quanity tube was broken off of the block. The powerplant, mount, and firewall was separated from the fuselage. The propeller had a single blade broken, splintered backwards. The right wing had fuel of an unknown quantity. The ELT was set to off.
In summary:
The aircraft PIC was interviewed by houston FSDO inspectors on 03/15/2016 at his residence at approximately 10:30AM. He stated during the interview, he was attempting to change the fuel draw/supply, from the left wing tank to the right wing tank but, starved the engine in the process because of a new modification to the fuel tank selector valve system. The new or middle valve in the system, was added by the operator.
The aircraft engine involved with this incident is the engine off of his vans
RV-8, N57GK. The engine is a Lycoming 0320-E3D, serial number L-39247-27A. He stated there were no problems with the way the engine was operating at the time, it quit because of improper fuel valve sequence/management procedures carried out by him.
The operator said that this flight, was a test flight for the engine change and fuel system modification.
As the FAA filed it
GROUND MARK INDICATIONS SHOW THE LEFT HAND WING STRIKING THE GROUND FIRST. AN INDICATION OF THE LEFT HAND MAIN LANDING GEAR AND THEN THE AIRCRAFT ENGINE AFTER THAT. EVIDENCE OF ONLY ONE PROPELLER BLADE STRIKING THE GROUND WAS FOUND.
THE MARKS INDICATE A GENERAL HEADING OF NORTH EAST, AND THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST ON A HEADING OF APPROXIMATELY SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST.
THE AIRCRAFT LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR WAS FOLDED BENEATH THE AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT THROTTLE AND MIXTURE WERE FULL FORWARD, MECHANICAL GYRO WAS SHOWING FIFTYFIVE DEGREES LEFT WING DOWN. THE ENGINE HAD LUBRICANT AND THE OIL QUANITY TUBE WAS BROKEN OFF OF THE BLOCK. THE POWERPLANT, MOUNT, AND FIREWALL WAS SEPARATED FROM THE FUSELAGE. THE PROPELLER HAD A SINGLE BLADE BROKEN, SPLINTERED BACKWARDS. THE RIGHT WING HAD FUEL OF AN UNKNOWN QUANTITY. THE ELT WAS SET TO OFF.
IN SUMMARY:
THE AIRCRAFT PIC WAS INTERVIEWED BY HOUSTON FSDO INSPECTORS ON 03/15/2016 AT HIS RESIDENCE AT APPROXIMATELY 10:30AM. HE STATED DURING THE INTERVIEW, HE WAS ATTEMPTING TO CHANGE THE FUEL DRAW/SUPPLY, FROM THE LEFT WING TANK TO THE RIGHT WING TANK BUT, STARVED THE ENGINE IN THE PROCESS BECAUSE OF A NEW MODIFICATION TO THE FUEL TANK SELECTOR VALVE SYSTEM. THE NEW OR MIDDLE VALVE IN THE SYSTEM, WAS ADDED BY THE OPERATOR.
THE AIRCRAFT ENGINE INVOLVED WITH THIS INCIDENT IS THE ENGINE OFF OF HIS VANS
RV-8, N57GK. THE ENGINE IS A LYCOMING 0320-E3D, SERIAL NUMBER L-39247-27A. HE STATED THERE WERE NO PROBLEMS WITH THE WAY THE ENGINE WAS OPERATING AT THE TIME, IT QUIT BECAUSE OF IMPROPER FUEL VALVE SEQUENCE/MANAGEMENT PROCEDURES CARRIED OUT BY HIM.
THE OPERATOR SAID THAT THIS FLIGHT, WAS A TEST FLIGHT FOR THE ENGINE CHANGE AND FUEL SYSTEM MODIFICATION.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.