What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Aircraft departed from redlands airport (krei), redlands, CA, for hollywood burbank airport (kbur), burbank, CA. Upon descent and approach into kbur, approximately 5 to 7 minutes from kbur, pilot reported an engine failure. Pilot believed the engine was still running, but was not producing power. Pilot stated, but was unclear of, the exact sequence of steps he performed in the cockpit. Pilot stated he 'pitched for best glide;' turned on electric fuel pump; switched fuel tanks; and tried different throttle, mixture, and propeller control positions with no effect on the engine.
Pilot made a 'mayday' call to the kbur air traffic control tower. The pilot stated he was over a densely populated area and looking for a possible place to land. The pilot turned left to avoid an apartment complex, then stalled and hit the aircraft's left wing on some tree limbs, which caused the aircraft to spin 180 degrees. The spin caused aft fuselage to hit a tree, which absorbed the impact, and the aircraft came to rest facing north in the driveway of an apartment complex located approximately 4 NM from kbur.
Upon initial inspection, aircraft landed gear up, with damage to both wings, and the aft fuselage. There was no apparent damage to the aircraft propeller. The left and right fuel tank caps were removed to visually inspect the fuel tanks, and it was noted that there was no fuel in either tank.
As the FAA filed it
AIRCRAFT DEPARTED FROM REDLANDS AIRPORT (KREI), REDLANDS, CA, FOR HOLLYWOOD BURBANK AIRPORT (KBUR), BURBANK, CA. UPON DESCENT AND APPROACH INTO KBUR, APPROXIMATELY 5 TO 7 MINUTES FROM KBUR, PILOT REPORTED AN ENGINE FAILURE. PILOT BELIEVED THE ENGINE WAS STILL RUNNING, BUT WAS NOT PRODUCING POWER. PILOT STATED, BUT WAS UNCLEAR OF, THE EXACT SEQUENCE OF STEPS HE PERFORMED IN THE COCKPIT. PILOT STATED HE 'PITCHED FOR BEST GLIDE;' TURNED ON ELECTRIC FUEL PUMP; SWITCHED FUEL TANKS; AND TRIED DIFFERENT THROTTLE, MIXTURE, AND PROPELLER CONTROL POSITIONS WITH NO EFFECT ON THE ENGINE.
PILOT MADE A 'MAYDAY' CALL TO THE KBUR AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL TOWER. THE PILOT STATED HE WAS OVER A DENSELY POPULATED AREA AND LOOKING FOR A POSSIBLE PLACE TO LAND. THE PILOT TURNED LEFT TO AVOID AN APARTMENT COMPLEX, THEN STALLED AND HIT THE AIRCRAFT'S LEFT WING ON SOME TREE LIMBS, WHICH CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO SPIN 180 DEGREES. THE SPIN CAUSED AFT FUSELAGE TO HIT A TREE, WHICH ABSORBED THE IMPACT, AND THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST FACING NORTH IN THE DRIVEWAY OF AN APARTMENT COMPLEX LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 4 NM FROM KBUR.
UPON INITIAL INSPECTION, AIRCRAFT LANDED GEAR UP, WITH DAMAGE TO BOTH WINGS, AND THE AFT FUSELAGE. THERE WAS NO APPARENT DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT PROPELLER. THE LEFT AND RIGHT FUEL TANK CAPS WERE REMOVED TO VISUALLY INSPECT THE FUEL TANKS, AND IT WAS NOTED THAT THERE WAS NO FUEL IN EITHER TANK.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.