What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Pilot and passenger departed (kapt) for a local flight. Pilot stated that he did not visually check the fuel, but said that his digital fuel totalizer showed 11 gallons of fuel on board. Approximately 20 minutes into the flight, the pilot selected the right hand fuel selector because he noticed a slight fuel imbalance on the fuel gauges favoring the right hand wing. The pilot then made numerous right hand turns at angles he estimated to be between 40 degrees and 60 degrees of bank to show his passenger his mother?s home. Upon completing several turns he came wings level and the aircraft began to sputter and loose engine power. The pilot began navigating back to the airport of departure, but was never able to regain engine power and elected to make on emergency landing in a plowed field. Upon touch down in the field, the nose gear sheared off and the aircraft flipped over due to heavy mud in the field. During the post-crash investigation, approximately 4 gallons was drained from the left hand fuel tank and approximately 5 gallons from the right hand fuel tank. The digital fuel totalizer showed 8.7 gallons of fuel on board. The pilot indicated that after the crash he moved the fuel selector back to ?both?.
As the FAA filed it
PILOT AND PASSENGER DEPARTED (KAPT) FOR A LOCAL FLIGHT. PILOT STATED THAT HE DID NOT VISUALLY CHECK THE FUEL, BUT SAID THAT HIS DIGITAL FUEL TOTALIZER SHOWED 11 GALLONS OF FUEL ON BOARD. APPROXIMATELY 20 MINUTES INTO THE FLIGHT, THE PILOT SELECTED THE RIGHT HAND FUEL SELECTOR BECAUSE HE NOTICED A SLIGHT FUEL IMBALANCE ON THE FUEL GAUGES FAVORING THE RIGHT HAND WING. THE PILOT THEN MADE NUMEROUS RIGHT HAND TURNS AT ANGLES HE ESTIMATED TO BE BETWEEN 40 DEGREES AND 60 DEGREES OF BANK TO SHOW HIS PASSENGER HIS MOTHER?S HOME. UPON COMPLETING SEVERAL TURNS HE CAME WINGS LEVEL AND THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO SPUTTER AND LOOSE ENGINE POWER. THE PILOT BEGAN NAVIGATING BACK TO THE AIRPORT OF DEPARTURE, BUT WAS NEVER ABLE TO REGAIN ENGINE POWER AND ELECTED TO MAKE ON EMERGENCY LANDING IN A PLOWED FIELD. UPON TOUCH DOWN IN THE FIELD, THE NOSE GEAR SHEARED OFF AND THE AIRCRAFT FLIPPED OVER DUE TO HEAVY MUD IN THE FIELD. DURING THE POST-CRASH INVESTIGATION, APPROXIMATELY 4 GALLONS WAS DRAINED FROM THE LEFT HAND FUEL TANK AND APPROXIMATELY 5 GALLONS FROM THE RIGHT HAND FUEL TANK. THE DIGITAL FUEL TOTALIZER SHOWED 8.7 GALLONS OF FUEL ON BOARD. THE PILOT INDICATED THAT AFTER THE CRASH HE MOVED THE FUEL SELECTOR BACK TO ?BOTH?.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.