What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 01/25/2017 this office was notified of an single fatality accident that had occurred near zena, OK. At approximately 1730 CST. The above aircraft with one person onboard departed a private sod airstrip approximately 1/2 mile west of the wreckage. Witnesses stated that the privacy data omitted pilot was flying the aircraft to grove municipal airport (kgmj) grove, OK. For maintenance.
The witness stated that after 3-5 high speed taxi runs up and down the runway the aircraft took off and headed to kgmj. On climb-out the engine began to run rough and then quit. The aircraft had clipped the top of a 50 ft. tree and appeared to have stalled and impacted the ground in a cut hay field in a nose down inverted attitude.
Investigation revealed approximately 2.5 gals of fuel in the l/h tank and approximately 6.5 in the r/h tank. Inspection revealed that the fuel selector was selected to the r/h tank but was drawing from the l/h tank. The fuel selector handle was found to be 180 degrees mis-clocked and not secured with the required pin. Approximately an ounce or so of fuel was found in the strainer and fuel line to the carburetor.
The carbuator appeared to be newly installed but no records were located. The last annual inspection found recorded in the records was in 2008. Flight / engine controls were found to have continuity and no evidence was found of any in-flight structural / control issues.
As the FAA filed it
ON 01/25/2017 THIS OFFICE WAS NOTIFIED OF AN SINGLE FATALITY ACCIDENT THAT HAD OCCURRED NEAR ZENA, OK. AT APPROXIMATELY 1730 CST. THE ABOVE AIRCRAFT WITH ONE PERSON ONBOARD DEPARTED A PRIVATE SOD AIRSTRIP APPROXIMATELY 1/2 MILE WEST OF THE WRECKAGE. WITNESSES STATED THAT THE ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ PILOT WAS FLYING THE AIRCRAFT TO GROVE MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (KGMJ) GROVE, OK. FOR MAINTENANCE.
THE WITNESS STATED THAT AFTER 3-5 HIGH SPEED TAXI RUNS UP AND DOWN THE RUNWAY THE AIRCRAFT TOOK OFF AND HEADED TO KGMJ. ON CLIMB-OUT THE ENGINE BEGAN TO RUN ROUGH AND THEN QUIT. THE AIRCRAFT HAD CLIPPED THE TOP OF A 50 FT. TREE AND APPEARED TO HAVE STALLED AND IMPACTED THE GROUND IN A CUT HAY FIELD IN A NOSE DOWN INVERTED ATTITUDE.
INVESTIGATION REVEALED APPROXIMATELY 2.5 GALS OF FUEL IN THE L/H TANK AND APPROXIMATELY 6.5 IN THE R/H TANK. INSPECTION REVEALED THAT THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS SELECTED TO THE R/H TANK BUT WAS DRAWING FROM THE L/H TANK. THE FUEL SELECTOR HANDLE WAS FOUND TO BE 180 DEGREES MIS-CLOCKED AND NOT SECURED WITH THE REQUIRED PIN. APPROXIMATELY AN OUNCE OR SO OF FUEL WAS FOUND IN THE STRAINER AND FUEL LINE TO THE CARBURETOR.
THE CARBUATOR APPEARED TO BE NEWLY INSTALLED BUT NO RECORDS WERE LOCATED. THE LAST ANNUAL INSPECTION FOUND RECORDED IN THE RECORDS WAS IN 2008. FLIGHT / ENGINE CONTROLS WERE FOUND TO HAVE CONTINUITY AND NO EVIDENCE WAS FOUND OF ANY IN-FLIGHT STRUCTURAL / CONTROL ISSUES.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.