What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 08/20/2018, the privacy data omitted pilot finished performing maintenance on his aircraft and decided to make a short post maintenance test flight. The pilot conducted a preflight inspection and engine run-up prior to the flight. The pilot stated that during the preflight, he observed at least 12 gallons of fuel on board. The pilot stayed within approximately one mile of the airport during the first ten minutes of the flight. Everything was working well so he extended his flight to a greater distance. The pilot estimated that he had been aloft for approximately thirty minutes when the engine started running rough. He then started looking for a suitable landing spot within the forest. He attempted to regain engine power through manipulation of controls and cycling the electric boost pump but was unsuccessful. He spotted what was his best option to safely land and started his approach. The engine fully stopped at the point that he was committed to the landing. The aircraft touched down in a small clearing in the middle of a forest that was approximately 200 feet long with uneven ground. During rollout, the aircraft wings struck multiple bushes and finally a large tree prior to stopping. The aircraft was
Substantially damaged, the pilot was uninjured. The pilot stated that after landing, while inspecting the aircraft, he found the left fuel cap loose and tightened it. Prior to exiting the aircraft, the pilot said he saw a small amount of fuel in both fuel tank sight glasses.
As the FAA filed it
ON 08/20/2018, THE ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ PILOT FINISHED PERFORMING MAINTENANCE ON HIS AIRCRAFT AND DECIDED TO MAKE A SHORT POST MAINTENANCE TEST FLIGHT. THE PILOT CONDUCTED A PREFLIGHT INSPECTION AND ENGINE RUN-UP PRIOR TO THE FLIGHT. THE PILOT STATED THAT DURING THE PREFLIGHT, HE OBSERVED AT LEAST 12 GALLONS OF FUEL ON BOARD. THE PILOT STAYED WITHIN APPROXIMATELY ONE MILE OF THE AIRPORT DURING THE FIRST TEN MINUTES OF THE FLIGHT. EVERYTHING WAS WORKING WELL SO HE EXTENDED HIS FLIGHT TO A GREATER DISTANCE. THE PILOT ESTIMATED THAT HE HAD BEEN ALOFT FOR APPROXIMATELY THIRTY MINUTES WHEN THE ENGINE STARTED RUNNING ROUGH. HE THEN STARTED LOOKING FOR A SUITABLE LANDING SPOT WITHIN THE FOREST. HE ATTEMPTED TO REGAIN ENGINE POWER THROUGH MANIPULATION OF CONTROLS AND CYCLING THE ELECTRIC BOOST PUMP BUT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. HE SPOTTED WHAT WAS HIS BEST OPTION TO SAFELY LAND AND STARTED HIS APPROACH. THE ENGINE FULLY STOPPED AT THE POINT THAT HE WAS COMMITTED TO THE LANDING. THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN IN A SMALL CLEARING IN THE MIDDLE OF A FOREST THAT WAS APPROXIMATELY 200 FEET LONG WITH UNEVEN GROUND. DURING ROLLOUT, THE AIRCRAFT WINGS STRUCK MULTIPLE BUSHES AND FINALLY A LARGE TREE PRIOR TO STOPPING. THE AIRCRAFT WAS
SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED, THE PILOT WAS UNINJURED. THE PILOT STATED THAT AFTER LANDING, WHILE INSPECTING THE AIRCRAFT, HE FOUND THE LEFT FUEL CAP LOOSE AND TIGHTENED IT. PRIOR TO EXITING THE AIRCRAFT, THE PILOT SAID HE SAW A SMALL AMOUNT OF FUEL IN BOTH FUEL TANK SIGHT GLASSES.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.