What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The pilot and his father flew to Bowman, ND for church service from dickenson, ND, on the morning of 8/26/18. The pilot reported that he topped off the main tanks in Bowman prior to departing for home in dickenson. He stated a runup was performed and noticed no irregularities. On climbout, at approx 3-500 ft the engine began sputtering and lost power. The pilot turned on the electric fuel pump and noticed no change in engine performance. He tried to turn the aircraft back toward the airport but decided to land in a pasture to the south east of the airport which ripped the nose gear off and pushed both main landing gear up thru the wings. After travelling to the crash site the next day I began inspecting the engine for factors contributing to loss of power. The propeller verified little or no power at impact. Fuel injector lines, flow divider, fuel flow transmitter, and mechanical fuel pump lines were removed and revealed no presence of fuel. The input line to the mechanical fuel pump was left separated for further testing, with no fuel feeding to the pump. The fuel shutoff valve was in the "off" position when I arrived on scene. With the input line still separated the selector was turned to the "on" position and fuel flow to the pump was observed. The electric standby fuel pump was tested and appeared to be in working condition.
As the FAA filed it
THE PILOT AND HIS FATHER FLEW TO BOWMAN, ND FOR CHURCH SERVICE FROM DICKENSON, ND, ON THE MORNING OF 8/26/18. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE TOPPED OFF THE MAIN TANKS IN BOWMAN PRIOR TO DEPARTING FOR HOME IN DICKENSON. HE STATED A RUNUP WAS PERFORMED AND NOTICED NO IRREGULARITIES. ON CLIMBOUT, AT APPROX 3-500 FT THE ENGINE BEGAN SPUTTERING AND LOST POWER. THE PILOT TURNED ON THE ELECTRIC FUEL PUMP AND NOTICED NO CHANGE IN ENGINE PERFORMANCE. HE TRIED TO TURN THE AIRCRAFT BACK TOWARD THE AIRPORT BUT DECIDED TO LAND IN A PASTURE TO THE SOUTH EAST OF THE AIRPORT WHICH RIPPED THE NOSE GEAR OFF AND PUSHED BOTH MAIN LANDING GEAR UP THRU THE WINGS. AFTER TRAVELLING TO THE CRASH SITE THE NEXT DAY I BEGAN INSPECTING THE ENGINE FOR FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO LOSS OF POWER. THE PROPELLER VERIFIED LITTLE OR NO POWER AT IMPACT. FUEL INJECTOR LINES, FLOW DIVIDER, FUEL FLOW TRANSMITTER, AND MECHANICAL FUEL PUMP LINES WERE REMOVED AND REVEALED NO PRESENCE OF FUEL. THE INPUT LINE TO THE MECHANICAL FUEL PUMP WAS LEFT SEPARATED FOR FURTHER TESTING, WITH NO FUEL FEEDING TO THE PUMP. THE FUEL SHUTOFF VALVE WAS IN THE "OFF" POSITION WHEN I ARRIVED ON SCENE. WITH THE INPUT LINE STILL SEPARATED THE SELECTOR WAS TURNED TO THE "ON" POSITION AND FUEL FLOW TO THE PUMP WAS OBSERVED. THE ELECTRIC STANDBY FUEL PUMP WAS TESTED AND APPEARED TO BE IN WORKING CONDITION.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.