What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On September 14, 2018, about 1020 eastern daylight time, an American Aviation AA-1A, N9218L, was substantially damaged after it impacted terrain during a forced landing in Warthen, Georgia. The commercial pilot and passenger sustained minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the flight that originated from the oconee county regional airport (ceu), clemson, south carolina, and was destined for summerfield, Florida. The personal flight was conducted under the provisions of title 14 code of federal regulations part 91.
The pilot reported that earlier during the day of the accident, he purchased the airplane in morristown, Tennessee. He filled up each of the two fuel tanks with 12.5 gallons of fuel and departed from moore-murrell airport (mor), morristown, Tennessee around 0730 destined for summerfield, Florida. While flying at a cruise altitude of 9,500 ft. mean sea level, about 20 minutes after takeoff, he noticed the fuel level was down to a one-fourth tank of fuel in each fuel tank. The pilot thought the fuel burn was very high and decided to land at the closest airport, which was ceu. He filled up again with 24 gallons of fuel and departed about 0950. About 30 minutes into the flight he noticed that the fuel level was at one-fourth tank in each wing fuel tank again. The pilot further stated that he decided to divert to the nearest airport, which was okz. About 15 miles away from the airport, the engine lost all power, he switched fuel tanks to the right fuel tank, activated the electric boost pump and the engine restarted. A few minutes later the engine again lost all power and he noticed both fuel tanks were empty. The pilot located a field and set up for landing. During the rollout in the field, the nose landing gear contacted some soft dirt and collapsed. The airplane slid 90° to the left and came to rest upright. Both occupants egressed through the canopy.
As the FAA filed it
ON SEPTEMBER 14, 2018, ABOUT 1020 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, AN AMERICAN AVIATION AA-1A, N9218L, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED AFTER IT IMPACTED TERRAIN DURING A FORCED LANDING IN WARTHEN, GEORGIA. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT AND PASSENGER SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE FLIGHT THAT ORIGINATED FROM THE OCONEE COUNTY REGIONAL AIRPORT (CEU), CLEMSON, SOUTH CAROLINA, AND WAS DESTINED FOR SUMMERFIELD, FLORIDA. THE PERSONAL FLIGHT WAS CONDUCTED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91.
THE PILOT REPORTED THAT EARLIER DURING THE DAY OF THE ACCIDENT, HE PURCHASED THE AIRPLANE IN MORRISTOWN, TENNESSEE. HE FILLED UP EACH OF THE TWO FUEL TANKS WITH 12.5 GALLONS OF FUEL AND DEPARTED FROM MOORE-MURRELL AIRPORT (MOR), MORRISTOWN, TENNESSEE AROUND 0730 DESTINED FOR SUMMERFIELD, FLORIDA. WHILE FLYING AT A CRUISE ALTITUDE OF 9,500 FT. MEAN SEA LEVEL, ABOUT 20 MINUTES AFTER TAKEOFF, HE NOTICED THE FUEL LEVEL WAS DOWN TO A ONE-FOURTH TANK OF FUEL IN EACH FUEL TANK. THE PILOT THOUGHT THE FUEL BURN WAS VERY HIGH AND DECIDED TO LAND AT THE CLOSEST AIRPORT, WHICH WAS CEU. HE FILLED UP AGAIN WITH 24 GALLONS OF FUEL AND DEPARTED ABOUT 0950. ABOUT 30 MINUTES INTO THE FLIGHT HE NOTICED THAT THE FUEL LEVEL WAS AT ONE-FOURTH TANK IN EACH WING FUEL TANK AGAIN. THE PILOT FURTHER STATED THAT HE DECIDED TO DIVERT TO THE NEAREST AIRPORT, WHICH WAS OKZ. ABOUT 15 MILES AWAY FROM THE AIRPORT, THE ENGINE LOST ALL POWER, HE SWITCHED FUEL TANKS TO THE RIGHT FUEL TANK, ACTIVATED THE ELECTRIC BOOST PUMP AND THE ENGINE RESTARTED. A FEW MINUTES LATER THE ENGINE AGAIN LOST ALL POWER AND HE NOTICED BOTH FUEL TANKS WERE EMPTY. THE PILOT LOCATED A FIELD AND SET UP FOR LANDING. DURING THE ROLLOUT IN THE FIELD, THE NOSE LANDING GEAR CONTACTED SOME SOFT DIRT AND COLLAPSED. THE AIRPLANE SLID 90° TO THE LEFT AND CAME TO REST UPRIGHT. BOTH OCCUPANTS EGRESSED THROUGH THE CANOPY.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.