What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
01-29-18
privacy data omitted Departed martinsburg, WV with a destination of wheeling, WV. At 8000 feet, the engine failed and he was unable to restart the engine after numerous attempts. The aircraft lost altitude and he descended to between 3000 and 2500 feet where he broke out of the clouds. He looked over the trees for a clearing and banked the aircraft to the left, striking a tree with his right wing which then separated from the fuselage. At the same time the nose gear struck an electrical high tension wire and broke the wire igniting fuel from the aircraft. The aircraft pancaked into a small clearing. The pilot immediately departed the aircraft from the left door. When he was approximately 40 feet from the aircraft, it exploded and was destroyed by fire. He sustained a cut on his knee and a minor back compression. The wound subsequently required ten stitches. The pilot was treated at uniontown hospital.
As the FAA filed it
01-29-18
^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ DEPARTED MARTINSBURG, WV WITH A DESTINATION OF WHEELING, WV. AT 8000 FEET, THE ENGINE FAILED AND HE WAS UNABLE TO RESTART THE ENGINE AFTER NUMEROUS ATTEMPTS. THE AIRCRAFT LOST ALTITUDE AND HE DESCENDED TO BETWEEN 3000 AND 2500 FEET WHERE HE BROKE OUT OF THE CLOUDS. HE LOOKED OVER THE TREES FOR A CLEARING AND BANKED THE AIRCRAFT TO THE LEFT, STRIKING A TREE WITH HIS RIGHT WING WHICH THEN SEPARATED FROM THE FUSELAGE. AT THE SAME TIME THE NOSE GEAR STRUCK AN ELECTRICAL HIGH TENSION WIRE AND BROKE THE WIRE IGNITING FUEL FROM THE AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT PANCAKED INTO A SMALL CLEARING. THE PILOT IMMEDIATELY DEPARTED THE AIRCRAFT FROM THE LEFT DOOR. WHEN HE WAS APPROXIMATELY 40 FEET FROM THE AIRCRAFT, IT EXPLODED AND WAS DESTROYED BY FIRE. HE SUSTAINED A CUT ON HIS KNEE AND A MINOR BACK COMPRESSION. THE WOUND SUBSEQUENTLY REQUIRED TEN STITCHES. THE PILOT WAS TREATED AT UNIONTOWN HOSPITAL.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N34VF · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.