What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
3/26/2018: At aproximently 16:00 April 23rd 2018 the FSDO manager was notified that a small aircraft had conducted an off airport landing 3 miles east of Millington Jet Port (knqa). This information came from the FAA operations center.
Upon arriving at the scene, I observed an individual who turned out to be pilot standing over three small red gas cans. The pilot had gone to the Millington airport to bring back aproximently 5 gallons of 100LL aviation fuel. He indicated that he was the pilot of the aircraft in question, and that he had made a precautionary landing at what appeared to him to be a grass runway. The pilot was clear about the fact that although he was low on fuel, he did not run out of gas, and landed under power.
After arriving at the aircraft, we were able to determine that although there was very little or no useable fuel remaining in the aircraft wing tanks, that the header tank appeared to be ½ to ¾ full. The aircraft master switch was placed on, and the auxiliary fuel pump switch caused fuel pressure to read positive pressure when activated. The pilot agreed to attempt to start the aircraft in is current fuel condition. He was successful in starting the engine. At this point, it was clear that the aircraft did still have usable fuel onboard. The pilot then proceeded to fuel his aircraft from the red fuel containers.
As the pilot had infact landed in a large field formally used as a wwii training base, and is currently maintained as a remote control aircraft flying club, he had no difficulty taxing the aircraft to the end of one of the remaining runway surfaces. He then proceeded to survey the surface and length of the remaining runway. As this was taking place, I contacted the NTSB investigator on call, and relayed the facts of the situation. The NTSB investigator had no objections to releasing the aircraft, as it had no visible damage. The pilot is a certificated A&P mechanic and has made application for an IA authorization. He could find no indication of any negative effects of landing on this grass runway, and in his judgment as both an A&P as well as the pilot in command the aircraft was airworthy. The flying club president indicated via a phone conversation that he had no objections to the pilot using the runway to depart, but of course would take no responsibility for any damage to the aircraft.
With this information, and having walked the take-off surface and measured it with GPS, the pilot announced his intentions to depart, fly the 3 miles to Millington Jet Port, refuel his aircraft and continue on to his destination. I explained to him that I could not give him permission, nor could I prohibit him from departing. The pilot agreed to report safely on the ground at Millington, as well as his final destination, which he did.
As the FAA filed it
3/26/2018: AT APROXIMENTLY 16:00 APRIL 23RD 2018 THE FSDO MANAGER WAS NOTIFIED THAT A SMALL AIRCRAFT HAD CONDUCTED AN OFF AIRPORT LANDING 3 MILES EAST OF MILLINGTON JET PORT (KNQA). THIS INFORMATION CAME FROM THE FAA OPERATIONS CENTER.
UPON ARRIVING AT THE SCENE, I OBSERVED AN INDIVIDUAL WHO TURNED OUT TO BE PILOT STANDING OVER THREE SMALL RED GAS CANS. THE PILOT HAD GONE TO THE MILLINGTON AIRPORT TO BRING BACK APROXIMENTLY 5 GALLONS OF 100LL AVIATION FUEL. HE INDICATED THAT HE WAS THE PILOT OF THE AIRCRAFT IN QUESTION, AND THAT HE HAD MADE A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING AT WHAT APPEARED TO HIM TO BE A GRASS RUNWAY. THE PILOT WAS CLEAR ABOUT THE FACT THAT ALTHOUGH HE WAS LOW ON FUEL, HE DID NOT RUN OUT OF GAS, AND LANDED UNDER POWER.
AFTER ARRIVING AT THE AIRCRAFT, WE WERE ABLE TO DETERMINE THAT ALTHOUGH THERE WAS VERY LITTLE OR NO USEABLE FUEL REMAINING IN THE AIRCRAFT WING TANKS, THAT THE HEADER TANK APPEARED TO BE ½ TO ¾ FULL. THE AIRCRAFT MASTER SWITCH WAS PLACED ON, AND THE AUXILIARY FUEL PUMP SWITCH CAUSED FUEL PRESSURE TO READ POSITIVE PRESSURE WHEN ACTIVATED. THE PILOT AGREED TO ATTEMPT TO START THE AIRCRAFT IN IS CURRENT FUEL CONDITION. HE WAS SUCCESSFUL IN STARTING THE ENGINE. AT THIS POINT, IT WAS CLEAR THAT THE AIRCRAFT DID STILL HAVE USABLE FUEL ONBOARD. THE PILOT THEN PROCEEDED TO FUEL HIS AIRCRAFT FROM THE RED FUEL CONTAINERS.
AS THE PILOT HAD INFACT LANDED IN A LARGE FIELD FORMALLY USED AS A WWII TRAINING BASE, AND IS CURRENTLY MAINTAINED AS A REMOTE CONTROL AIRCRAFT FLYING CLUB, HE HAD NO DIFFICULTY TAXING THE AIRCRAFT TO THE END OF ONE OF THE REMAINING RUNWAY SURFACES. HE THEN PROCEEDED TO SURVEY THE SURFACE AND LENGTH OF THE REMAINING RUNWAY. AS THIS WAS TAKING PLACE, I CONTACTED THE NTSB INVESTIGATOR ON CALL, AND RELAYED THE FACTS OF THE SITUATION. THE NTSB INVESTIGATOR HAD NO OBJECTIONS TO RELEASING THE AIRCRAFT, AS IT HAD NO VISIBLE DAMAGE. THE PILOT IS A CERTIFICATED A&P MECHANIC AND HAS MADE APPLICATION FOR AN IA AUTHORIZATION. HE COULD FIND NO INDICATION OF ANY NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF LANDING ON THIS GRASS RUNWAY, AND IN HIS JUDGMENT AS BOTH AN A&P AS WELL AS THE PILOT IN COMMAND THE AIRCRAFT WAS AIRWORTHY. THE FLYING CLUB PRESIDENT INDICATED VIA A PHONE CONVERSATION THAT HE HAD NO OBJECTIONS TO THE PILOT USING THE RUNWAY TO DEPART, BUT OF COURSE WOULD TAKE NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT.
WITH THIS INFORMATION, AND HAVING WALKED THE TAKE-OFF SURFACE AND MEASURED IT WITH GPS, THE PILOT ANNOUNCED HIS INTENTIONS TO DEPART, FLY THE 3 MILES TO MILLINGTON JET PORT, REFUEL HIS AIRCRAFT AND CONTINUE ON TO HIS DESTINATION. I EXPLAINED TO HIM THAT I COULD NOT GIVE HIM PERMISSION, NOR COULD I PROHIBIT HIM FROM DEPARTING. THE PILOT AGREED TO REPORT SAFELY ON THE GROUND AT MILLINGTON, AS WELL AS HIS FINAL DESTINATION, WHICH HE DID.