What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
N891LL departed the springfield airport at 08:45AM. The fuel was checked by dip-stick and determined to be 550 pounds to take aerial photography of the active surface mines in southern Illinois.
After takeoff the fuel selector was kept in "both" for 45 minutes. At this time it was noticed the fuel quantity to be greater in the right tank. So the pilot selected "right" tank. It remained in this position for the next 30 minutes, until the engine quit. Shortly before the engine failure the fuel flow was noticed to be 154 pounds per hour. The pilot indicated there was no ?low fuel light.? The lights never illuminated to provide a warning of low fuel indication.
Total flight time was about an hour and fifteen minutes. Three attempts were made to restart the turbine engine but were not successful. At this point they located a grassy field to bring the aircraft down. They impacted the ground then slid for approximately 160 feet up a small embankment.
The aircraft was secured by turning the fuel selector to "off?? And turning off the battery switch. There was no fire. Pilot and camera operator were able to egress the aircraft on their own. The pilot was transported to hardin county hospital by ambulance for evaluation. Required lab testing was done and then discharged about three hours later. The photographer was transported by helicopter to evansville, Indiana for evaluation because of chest and lower back tenderness.
As the FAA filed it
N891LL DEPARTED THE SPRINGFIELD AIRPORT AT 08:45AM. THE FUEL WAS CHECKED BY DIP-STICK AND DETERMINED TO BE 550 POUNDS TO TAKE AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY OF THE ACTIVE SURFACE MINES IN SOUTHERN ILLINOIS.
AFTER TAKEOFF THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS KEPT IN "BOTH" FOR 45 MINUTES. AT THIS TIME IT WAS NOTICED THE FUEL QUANTITY TO BE GREATER IN THE RIGHT TANK. SO THE PILOT SELECTED "RIGHT" TANK. IT REMAINED IN THIS POSITION FOR THE NEXT 30 MINUTES, UNTIL THE ENGINE QUIT. SHORTLY BEFORE THE ENGINE FAILURE THE FUEL FLOW WAS NOTICED TO BE 154 POUNDS PER HOUR. THE PILOT INDICATED THERE WAS NO ?LOW FUEL LIGHT.? THE LIGHTS NEVER ILLUMINATED TO PROVIDE A WARNING OF LOW FUEL INDICATION.
TOTAL FLIGHT TIME WAS ABOUT AN HOUR AND FIFTEEN MINUTES. THREE ATTEMPTS WERE MADE TO RESTART THE TURBINE ENGINE BUT WERE NOT SUCCESSFUL. AT THIS POINT THEY LOCATED A GRASSY FIELD TO BRING THE AIRCRAFT DOWN. THEY IMPACTED THE GROUND THEN SLID FOR APPROXIMATELY 160 FEET UP A SMALL EMBANKMENT.
THE AIRCRAFT WAS SECURED BY TURNING THE FUEL SELECTOR TO "OFF?? AND TURNING OFF THE BATTERY SWITCH. THERE WAS NO FIRE. PILOT AND CAMERA OPERATOR WERE ABLE TO EGRESS THE AIRCRAFT ON THEIR OWN. THE PILOT WAS TRANSPORTED TO HARDIN COUNTY HOSPITAL BY AMBULANCE FOR EVALUATION. REQUIRED LAB TESTING WAS DONE AND THEN DISCHARGED ABOUT THREE HOURS LATER. THE PHOTOGRAPHER WAS TRANSPORTED BY HELICOPTER TO EVANSVILLE, INDIANA FOR EVALUATION BECAUSE OF CHEST AND LOWER BACK TENDERNESS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.