What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Pilot departed from robert lee (54F), Texas for destination to taylor (T74), Texas. Pilot noticed a vibration in the engine so he began scanning instrument panel. He looked up the nearest alternate airport which was Lampasas airport (lzz) and immediately turned to that heading. While heading toward Lampasas airport, pilot tried to climb and look for an emergency landing area but simultaneously the engine began to shudder and ultimately failed. Pilot immediately ran the power loss in flight checklist and attempted a restart. The restart was unsuccessful, pilot then was committed to an emergency landing on the nearest field. Pilot landed on a pasture field at 639 county road 104 Lampasas, Texas. Airplane had a propeller strike with a barbed wire fence. Mr Garrett huntington from the burnet police department verified that the fuel gauge for the right side was 1/4 full and the left side showed empty. The pilot took a fuel sample out of both tanks and it was blue in color with no signs of contamination. There was a passenger on board. No post crash fire and no injuries to pilot or passenger.
After airplane landed pilot inspected and noticed fuel leaking out of the left cowl flap. Pilot stepped away from the airplane to wait for law enforcement to arrive. After conducting interviews for 1-2 hours, he walked back to the plane to gather his headset and saw fuel leaking from the fuel strainer area. Pilot got the attention of one of the police officers to show him the leak which he documented and then reported it to the FAA.
Inspector reyes spoke with the mechanic that recovered the aircraft. Mechanic mentioned the reason for the fuel leaking was the fuel was still on and the right side selected in the fuel selector valve. Pilot never shut off the fuel. He checked strain valve and it was closing properly. Carburetor had fuel when it was torn down for inspection.
The carburetor was removed and sent to "ly-con" overhaul facility, it was determined the float was hanging up inside the float bowl causing the float valve to stick open and flood the engine. Carburetor manufacturer is marvel schebler, model # MA4-5, p/n 10-3965-12-1 s/n H-17-1994.
Recommended to kenneth tunnel manager at ly-con (559) 651-1070 to submit malfunction or defect report (mdr) on carburetor.
As the FAA filed it
PILOT DEPARTED FROM ROBERT LEE (54F), TEXAS FOR DESTINATION TO TAYLOR (T74), TEXAS. PILOT NOTICED A VIBRATION IN THE ENGINE SO HE BEGAN SCANNING INSTRUMENT PANEL. HE LOOKED UP THE NEAREST ALTERNATE AIRPORT WHICH WAS LAMPASAS AIRPORT (LZZ) AND IMMEDIATELY TURNED TO THAT HEADING. WHILE HEADING TOWARD LAMPASAS AIRPORT, PILOT TRIED TO CLIMB AND LOOK FOR AN EMERGENCY LANDING AREA BUT SIMULTANEOUSLY THE ENGINE BEGAN TO SHUDDER AND ULTIMATELY FAILED. PILOT IMMEDIATELY RAN THE POWER LOSS IN FLIGHT CHECKLIST AND ATTEMPTED A RESTART. THE RESTART WAS UNSUCCESSFUL, PILOT THEN WAS COMMITTED TO AN EMERGENCY LANDING ON THE NEAREST FIELD. PILOT LANDED ON A PASTURE FIELD AT 639 COUNTY ROAD 104 LAMPASAS, TEXAS. AIRPLANE HAD A PROPELLER STRIKE WITH A BARBED WIRE FENCE. MR GARRETT HUNTINGTON FROM THE BURNET POLICE DEPARTMENT VERIFIED THAT THE FUEL GAUGE FOR THE RIGHT SIDE WAS 1/4 FULL AND THE LEFT SIDE SHOWED EMPTY. THE PILOT TOOK A FUEL SAMPLE OUT OF BOTH TANKS AND IT WAS BLUE IN COLOR WITH NO SIGNS OF CONTAMINATION. THERE WAS A PASSENGER ON BOARD. NO POST CRASH FIRE AND NO INJURIES TO PILOT OR PASSENGER.
AFTER AIRPLANE LANDED PILOT INSPECTED AND NOTICED FUEL LEAKING OUT OF THE LEFT COWL FLAP. PILOT STEPPED AWAY FROM THE AIRPLANE TO WAIT FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT TO ARRIVE. AFTER CONDUCTING INTERVIEWS FOR 1-2 HOURS, HE WALKED BACK TO THE PLANE TO GATHER HIS HEADSET AND SAW FUEL LEAKING FROM THE FUEL STRAINER AREA. PILOT GOT THE ATTENTION OF ONE OF THE POLICE OFFICERS TO SHOW HIM THE LEAK WHICH HE DOCUMENTED AND THEN REPORTED IT TO THE FAA.
INSPECTOR REYES SPOKE WITH THE MECHANIC THAT RECOVERED THE AIRCRAFT. MECHANIC MENTIONED THE REASON FOR THE FUEL LEAKING WAS THE FUEL WAS STILL ON AND THE RIGHT SIDE SELECTED IN THE FUEL SELECTOR VALVE. PILOT NEVER SHUT OFF THE FUEL. HE CHECKED STRAIN VALVE AND IT WAS CLOSING PROPERLY. CARBURETOR HAD FUEL WHEN IT WAS TORN DOWN FOR INSPECTION.
THE CARBURETOR WAS REMOVED AND SENT TO "LY-CON" OVERHAUL FACILITY, IT WAS DETERMINED THE FLOAT WAS HANGING UP INSIDE THE FLOAT BOWL CAUSING THE FLOAT VALVE TO STICK OPEN AND FLOOD THE ENGINE. CARBURETOR MANUFACTURER IS MARVEL SCHEBLER, MODEL # MA4-5, P/N 10-3965-12-1 S/N H-17-1994.
RECOMMENDED TO KENNETH TUNNEL MANAGER AT LY-CON (559) 651-1070 TO SUBMIT MALFUNCTION OR DEFECT REPORT (MDR) ON CARBURETOR.
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