What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On the morning of August 3 2019, ^brett aroneck^ pilot of N951TS executed a forced landing after experiencing a catastrophic engine failure.
Approximately 9AM he pre-flighted the airplane, checked all fluids. There was fuel in all four tanks, with approximately 40 gallons of fuel. The left main tank had around 15 gallons; the right main had around 13 gallons and the tip tanks were said to have minimal fuel in each as they were used on his previous flight in mid July. He confirmed all fuel was visually clear of contaminants by sumping each tank and then "he set the fuel selector to the left main tank". Upon confirming all preflight checklist items complete, he then taxied to the ramp, after receiving clearance from ground control, he taxied the aircraft to the run-up area at runways 32 & 23 while completing the taxi checklist items. At the run-up area he completed all items on the run-up checklist. Once clearance was granted, he departed runway 32
He completed his first touch and go. Upon departure of the second touch and go, he climbed to 450' and initiated his right turn while simultaneously reducing manifold power to 25" and then reducing RPM to 25; upon reducing the RPM the engine lost all power output and was already losing altitude. He made a radio call "N951TS engine failure emergency". At that moment he had mill cove on his left side and residential homes and trees on his right side- he decided go for the water in mill cove. He believes he verbalized (not sure if he pressed the mic on the control yoke) that he could not make the return and that he would be in the marsh.
The pilot inadvertently selected the wrong fuel tank. This mistake rendered the aircraft powerless, thus destroying the aircraft as it came to rest in a marshy area in Jacksonville.
Recommend counseling
As the FAA filed it
ON THE MORNING OF AUGUST 3 2019, ^BRETT ARONECK^ PILOT OF N951TS EXECUTED A FORCED LANDING AFTER EXPERIENCING A CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE.
APPROXIMATELY 9AM HE PRE-FLIGHTED THE AIRPLANE, CHECKED ALL FLUIDS. THERE WAS FUEL IN ALL FOUR TANKS, WITH APPROXIMATELY 40 GALLONS OF FUEL. THE LEFT MAIN TANK HAD AROUND 15 GALLONS; THE RIGHT MAIN HAD AROUND 13 GALLONS AND THE TIP TANKS WERE SAID TO HAVE MINIMAL FUEL IN EACH AS THEY WERE USED ON HIS PREVIOUS FLIGHT IN MID JULY. HE CONFIRMED ALL FUEL WAS VISUALLY CLEAR OF CONTAMINANTS BY SUMPING EACH TANK AND THEN "HE SET THE FUEL SELECTOR TO THE LEFT MAIN TANK". UPON CONFIRMING ALL PREFLIGHT CHECKLIST ITEMS COMPLETE, HE THEN TAXIED TO THE RAMP, AFTER RECEIVING CLEARANCE FROM GROUND CONTROL, HE TAXIED THE AIRCRAFT TO THE RUN-UP AREA AT RUNWAYS 32 & 23 WHILE COMPLETING THE TAXI CHECKLIST ITEMS. AT THE RUN-UP AREA HE COMPLETED ALL ITEMS ON THE RUN-UP CHECKLIST. ONCE CLEARANCE WAS GRANTED, HE DEPARTED RUNWAY 32
HE COMPLETED HIS FIRST TOUCH AND GO. UPON DEPARTURE OF THE SECOND TOUCH AND GO, HE CLIMBED TO 450' AND INITIATED HIS RIGHT TURN WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY REDUCING MANIFOLD POWER TO 25" AND THEN REDUCING RPM TO 25; UPON REDUCING THE RPM THE ENGINE LOST ALL POWER OUTPUT AND WAS ALREADY LOSING ALTITUDE. HE MADE A RADIO CALL "N951TS ENGINE FAILURE EMERGENCY". AT THAT MOMENT HE HAD MILL COVE ON HIS LEFT SIDE AND RESIDENTIAL HOMES AND TREES ON HIS RIGHT SIDE- HE DECIDED GO FOR THE WATER IN MILL COVE. HE BELIEVES HE VERBALIZED (NOT SURE IF HE PRESSED THE MIC ON THE CONTROL YOKE) THAT HE COULD NOT MAKE THE RETURN AND THAT HE WOULD BE IN THE MARSH.
THE PILOT INADVERTENTLY SELECTED THE WRONG FUEL TANK. THIS MISTAKE RENDERED THE AIRCRAFT POWERLESS, THUS DESTROYING THE AIRCRAFT AS IT CAME TO REST IN A MARSHY AREA IN JACKSONVILLE.
RECOMMEND COUNSELING
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.