What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The aircraft departed on the return leg with full fuel, 52 gallons. During the previous 3.6 hour flight the aircrafts fuel usage was 10.3 gallons per hour, as evidenced by the fuel purchase receipt. The aircrafts return flight duration was approximately 4 hours.
During the return flight the aircraft experienced lower cloud ceilings and descended from its cruise altitude of 6,500 feet to 2,500 feet for the last 30 minutes of flight. At the destination airport, the aircraft lost engine power while extending downwind for traffic on final.
The pilot reported engine power loss at 800 feet above ground level, the airport traffic pattern altitude, and beyond gliding distance of the airport. The pilot chose a golf course fairway for the emergency landing field and the aircraft sustained substantial damage in the landing.
The aircraft struck a tree with its right wing, approximately 20 feet above ground level and continued airborne for approximately 135 feet. The aircraft briefly touched down for about 10 feet, leaving main wheel rim depressions in the ground. Afterwords, the aircraft became airborne for another 200 feet before striking the FAR edge of a sand trap, creating 3 deep impressions before again becoming airborne for 50 feet and landing, with no evidence of forward travel across the ground.
The aircraft sustained substantial damage, including, the nose and right main landing gear, the right wing at the leading edge and the upper and lower wing surfaces punctured by the right main landing gear assembly, aft of the wing tank. One blade of the prop was bent aft approximately 45 degrees and the aircraft firewall was bent.
Upon inspection of the aircraft at the accident scene no evidence of fuel spillage was found or evidenced by the police, who responded to the accident or golf course grounds supervisor as would be evidenced by dead grass. The left fuel tank was empty, as evidenced by visual inspection and the inability to sump fuel at the sump drain. Fuel in the right tank was visible and sump was drainable. The quantity in the right tank was estimated at 3 gallons by the FAA. The fuel selector was on the left tank and the fuel pump switch was in the off position.
As the FAA filed it
THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED ON THE RETURN LEG WITH FULL FUEL, 52 GALLONS. DURING THE PREVIOUS 3.6 HOUR FLIGHT THE AIRCRAFTS FUEL USAGE WAS 10.3 GALLONS PER HOUR, AS EVIDENCED BY THE FUEL PURCHASE RECEIPT. THE AIRCRAFTS RETURN FLIGHT DURATION WAS APPROXIMATELY 4 HOURS.
DURING THE RETURN FLIGHT THE AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED LOWER CLOUD CEILINGS AND DESCENDED FROM ITS CRUISE ALTITUDE OF 6,500 FEET TO 2,500 FEET FOR THE LAST 30 MINUTES OF FLIGHT. AT THE DESTINATION AIRPORT, THE AIRCRAFT LOST ENGINE POWER WHILE EXTENDING DOWNWIND FOR TRAFFIC ON FINAL.
THE PILOT REPORTED ENGINE POWER LOSS AT 800 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL, THE AIRPORT TRAFFIC PATTERN ALTITUDE, AND BEYOND GLIDING DISTANCE OF THE AIRPORT. THE PILOT CHOSE A GOLF COURSE FAIRWAY FOR THE EMERGENCY LANDING FIELD AND THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE IN THE LANDING.
THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK A TREE WITH ITS RIGHT WING, APPROXIMATELY 20 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL AND CONTINUED AIRBORNE FOR APPROXIMATELY 135 FEET. THE AIRCRAFT BRIEFLY TOUCHED DOWN FOR ABOUT 10 FEET, LEAVING MAIN WHEEL RIM DEPRESSIONS IN THE GROUND. AFTERWORDS, THE AIRCRAFT BECAME AIRBORNE FOR ANOTHER 200 FEET BEFORE STRIKING THE FAR EDGE OF A SAND TRAP, CREATING 3 DEEP IMPRESSIONS BEFORE AGAIN BECOMING AIRBORNE FOR 50 FEET AND LANDING, WITH NO EVIDENCE OF FORWARD TRAVEL ACROSS THE GROUND.
THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE, INCLUDING, THE NOSE AND RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR, THE RIGHT WING AT THE LEADING EDGE AND THE UPPER AND LOWER WING SURFACES PUNCTURED BY THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR ASSEMBLY, AFT OF THE WING TANK. ONE BLADE OF THE PROP WAS BENT AFT APPROXIMATELY 45 DEGREES AND THE AIRCRAFT FIREWALL WAS BENT.
UPON INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT AT THE ACCIDENT SCENE NO EVIDENCE OF FUEL SPILLAGE WAS FOUND OR EVIDENCED BY THE POLICE, WHO RESPONDED TO THE ACCIDENT OR GOLF COURSE GROUNDS SUPERVISOR AS WOULD BE EVIDENCED BY DEAD GRASS. THE LEFT FUEL TANK WAS EMPTY, AS EVIDENCED BY VISUAL INSPECTION AND THE INABILITY TO SUMP FUEL AT THE SUMP DRAIN. FUEL IN THE RIGHT TANK WAS VISIBLE AND SUMP WAS DRAINABLE. THE QUANTITY IN THE RIGHT TANK WAS ESTIMATED AT 3 GALLONS BY THE FAA. THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS ON THE LEFT TANK AND THE FUEL PUMP SWITCH WAS IN THE OFF POSITION.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.