What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Pilot stated that he departed from ridgeland-claude dean airport (3J1), ridgeland, south carolina with an intended destination to marion airport (C17), marion, Iowa in N1842W, a 1973 Beech F33A. The pilot made a decision to take a more western route through Georgia instead of a more northwestern direct route to avoid possible inclement weather through the appalachian mountains. The pilot recounted that during normal cruise flight, northwest of Carrollton, Georgia at approximately 6500 feet the airplanes engine quit unexpectedly. Immediately he identified the airplanes left hand fuel tank gauge that was supplying the aircraft engine, which was indicating 22 gallons. He then switched over to the right hand fuel tank that indicated 37 gallons of fuel and tried to restart the airplane engine but was unsuccessful. Losing altitude rapidly, the pilot felt he would not be able to reach the nearby airport, west Georgia regional airport (kctj), so with limited options, picked a straight stretch of road (us highway 27) to perform an emergency landing. During the airplanes descent to land, the propeller struck a utility line, which bent and marked the propeller and deflected the line but not before striking the right hand wing causing black rub marks from the impact. While the airplane coasted down the south bound side of the highway, it traveled under a set of intersection lights and the pilot was able to guide the majority of the airplane off the highway to the right hand shoulder without injury. While on site, the left hand fuel tank cap was removed and no fuel could be seen. Additionally the pilot's medical date of 7-7-16 had expired prior to the incident and the airplanes last 91.413 transponder inspection, which was completed on 5-13-15, was over the 24 month interval.
As the FAA filed it
PILOT STATED THAT HE DEPARTED FROM RIDGELAND-CLAUDE DEAN AIRPORT (3J1), RIDGELAND, SOUTH CAROLINA WITH AN INTENDED DESTINATION TO MARION AIRPORT (C17), MARION, IOWA IN N1842W, A 1973 BEECH F33A. THE PILOT MADE A DECISION TO TAKE A MORE WESTERN ROUTE THROUGH GEORGIA INSTEAD OF A MORE NORTHWESTERN DIRECT ROUTE TO AVOID POSSIBLE INCLEMENT WEATHER THROUGH THE APPALACHIAN MOUNTAINS. THE PILOT RECOUNTED THAT DURING NORMAL CRUISE FLIGHT, NORTHWEST OF CARROLLTON, GEORGIA AT APPROXIMATELY 6500 FEET THE AIRPLANES ENGINE QUIT UNEXPECTEDLY. IMMEDIATELY HE IDENTIFIED THE AIRPLANES LEFT HAND FUEL TANK GAUGE THAT WAS SUPPLYING THE AIRCRAFT ENGINE, WHICH WAS INDICATING 22 GALLONS. HE THEN SWITCHED OVER TO THE RIGHT HAND FUEL TANK THAT INDICATED 37 GALLONS OF FUEL AND TRIED TO RESTART THE AIRPLANE ENGINE BUT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. LOSING ALTITUDE RAPIDLY, THE PILOT FELT HE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO REACH THE NEARBY AIRPORT, WEST GEORGIA REGIONAL AIRPORT (KCTJ), SO WITH LIMITED OPTIONS, PICKED A STRAIGHT STRETCH OF ROAD (US HIGHWAY 27) TO PERFORM AN EMERGENCY LANDING. DURING THE AIRPLANES DESCENT TO LAND, THE PROPELLER STRUCK A UTILITY LINE, WHICH BENT AND MARKED THE PROPELLER AND DEFLECTED THE LINE BUT NOT BEFORE STRIKING THE RIGHT HAND WING CAUSING BLACK RUB MARKS FROM THE IMPACT. WHILE THE AIRPLANE COASTED DOWN THE SOUTH BOUND SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY, IT TRAVELED UNDER A SET OF INTERSECTION LIGHTS AND THE PILOT WAS ABLE TO GUIDE THE MAJORITY OF THE AIRPLANE OFF THE HIGHWAY TO THE RIGHT HAND SHOULDER WITHOUT INJURY. WHILE ON SITE, THE LEFT HAND FUEL TANK CAP WAS REMOVED AND NO FUEL COULD BE SEEN. ADDITIONALLY THE PILOT'S MEDICAL DATE OF 7-7-16 HAD EXPIRED PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT AND THE AIRPLANES LAST 91.413 TRANSPONDER INSPECTION, WHICH WAS COMPLETED ON 5-13-15, WAS OVER THE 24 MONTH INTERVAL.