What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Aircraft had intermittent generator on a time-building cross-country flight in VMC conditions. Generator and battery eventually died and pilot was unable to get a reading on his fuel gauges. Pilot stopped at scr (Siler City, NC, formerly 5W8) to take manual reading of fuel tanks. Pilot purchased fuel at scr, and was unable to restart aircraft due to dead battery. Pilot got a jump from local ground crew. On takeoff from runway 4, pilot heard a noise in his radios and got distracted. When he looked up, he was over the grass next to the runway. Trying to correct his centerline, he scraped the left wingtip to the grass/ground (which he stated he did not realize occurred). He decided to land in the grass and come back around the taxiways to try again. He then departed runway 4 (all electrical equipment still inoperative), and took off successfully from scr. He then went to hbi to do a landing there, then on to his final destination of exx, all with a dead battery and therefore all of his electrical equipment (including radios) inoperative. Damage revealed crumpling of left wing, affecting structure of the wing, which classified this investigation as an accident.
As the FAA filed it
AIRCRAFT HAD INTERMITTENT GENERATOR ON A TIME-BUILDING CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT IN VMC CONDITIONS. GENERATOR AND BATTERY EVENTUALLY DIED AND PILOT WAS UNABLE TO GET A READING ON HIS FUEL GAUGES. PILOT STOPPED AT SCR (SILER CITY, NC, FORMERLY 5W8) TO TAKE MANUAL READING OF FUEL TANKS. PILOT PURCHASED FUEL AT SCR, AND WAS UNABLE TO RESTART AIRCRAFT DUE TO DEAD BATTERY. PILOT GOT A JUMP FROM LOCAL GROUND CREW. ON TAKEOFF FROM RUNWAY 4, PILOT HEARD A NOISE IN HIS RADIOS AND GOT DISTRACTED. WHEN HE LOOKED UP, HE WAS OVER THE GRASS NEXT TO THE RUNWAY. TRYING TO CORRECT HIS CENTERLINE, HE SCRAPED THE LEFT WINGTIP TO THE GRASS/GROUND (WHICH HE STATED HE DID NOT REALIZE OCCURRED). HE DECIDED TO LAND IN THE GRASS AND COME BACK AROUND THE TAXIWAYS TO TRY AGAIN. HE THEN DEPARTED RUNWAY 4 (ALL ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT STILL INOPERATIVE), AND TOOK OFF SUCCESSFULLY FROM SCR. HE THEN WENT TO HBI TO DO A LANDING THERE, THEN ON TO HIS FINAL DESTINATION OF EXX, ALL WITH A DEAD BATTERY AND THEREFORE ALL OF HIS ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT (INCLUDING RADIOS) INOPERATIVE. DAMAGE REVEALED CRUMPLING OF LEFT WING, AFFECTING STRUCTURE OF THE WING, WHICH CLASSIFIED THIS INVESTIGATION AS AN ACCIDENT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.