What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 18 December 2019, pilot robert joseph young (PIC) flew N9566S, 7ECA citabria from 9X1 to ubs/gtr. He departed 9X1 at 1245 CST on a VFR flight. He landed at vicksburg municipal airport (vks) to add a quart of oil. The PIC opted not to add fuel based off his calculations of fuel required to safely fly to gtr. N9566S gauges were showing that the fuel tanks were half full. N9566S departed vks for gtr and climbed to 3500?. As the PIC flew over louisville winston county airport (lms) the fuel gauges read 1/4 fuel in right tank and 1/4 fuel in left tank. The aircraft had been airborne approximately 4.5 hrs. The left tank was steadily dropping from ¼ of a tank down to 1/8 of a tank. The right tank read 1/4 tank full. PIC rechecked his watch and at approximately 4:40 flight time and gauges read slightly less than 1/8 left & 1/4 right. The PIC made a remark to gtr tower that he could not accept a long delay or extended vectors. He believed he had 15-20 minutes of flight time before hitting night VFR reserves. PIC did not declare minimum or emergency fuel loads based flight time left and what the gauges were reading at the present time. PIC lowered the nose for a decent into gtr. The engine started to run erratically and appeared to run rough. PIC noticed that the left side fuel gauge had slammed to empty and the right was at 1/4 of a tank full. PIC realized that the plane was not going to make stf and lined up for an emergency landing on highway 25. With the trees and power lines on both sides of highway 25, the PIC aborted landing on highway 25 due to oncoming traffic and opted to land in a field. The aircraft?s left leading edge impacted a tree causing the left wing to be separated from the aircraft. Consequentially, the aircraft spun around violently causing the right wing to partially break loose from the aircraft and lodge vertically between two limbs of a tree. As a result of this accident, the pilot suffered a minor injury to his head. PIC was treated and released from the hospital later that evening. There were no other injuries reported. The aircraft received substantial damage to the point of being destroyed.
As the FAA filed it
ON 18 DECEMBER 2019, PILOT ROBERT JOSEPH YOUNG (PIC) FLEW N9566S, 7ECA CITABRIA FROM 9X1 TO UBS/GTR. HE DEPARTED 9X1 AT 1245 CST ON A VFR FLIGHT. HE LANDED AT VICKSBURG MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (VKS) TO ADD A QUART OF OIL. THE PIC OPTED NOT TO ADD FUEL BASED OFF HIS CALCULATIONS OF FUEL REQUIRED TO SAFELY FLY TO GTR. N9566S GAUGES WERE SHOWING THAT THE FUEL TANKS WERE HALF FULL. N9566S DEPARTED VKS FOR GTR AND CLIMBED TO 3500?. AS THE PIC FLEW OVER LOUISVILLE WINSTON COUNTY AIRPORT (LMS) THE FUEL GAUGES READ 1/4 FUEL IN RIGHT TANK AND 1/4 FUEL IN LEFT TANK. THE AIRCRAFT HAD BEEN AIRBORNE APPROXIMATELY 4.5 HRS. THE LEFT TANK WAS STEADILY DROPPING FROM ¼ OF A TANK DOWN TO 1/8 OF A TANK. THE RIGHT TANK READ 1/4 TANK FULL. PIC RECHECKED HIS WATCH AND AT APPROXIMATELY 4:40 FLIGHT TIME AND GAUGES READ SLIGHTLY LESS THAN 1/8 LEFT & 1/4 RIGHT. THE PIC MADE A REMARK TO GTR TOWER THAT HE COULD NOT ACCEPT A LONG DELAY OR EXTENDED VECTORS. HE BELIEVED HE HAD 15-20 MINUTES OF FLIGHT TIME BEFORE HITTING NIGHT VFR RESERVES. PIC DID NOT DECLARE MINIMUM OR EMERGENCY FUEL LOADS BASED FLIGHT TIME LEFT AND WHAT THE GAUGES WERE READING AT THE PRESENT TIME. PIC LOWERED THE NOSE FOR A DECENT INTO GTR. THE ENGINE STARTED TO RUN ERRATICALLY AND APPEARED TO RUN ROUGH. PIC NOTICED THAT THE LEFT SIDE FUEL GAUGE HAD SLAMMED TO EMPTY AND THE RIGHT WAS AT 1/4 OF A TANK FULL. PIC REALIZED THAT THE PLANE WAS NOT GOING TO MAKE STF AND LINED UP FOR AN EMERGENCY LANDING ON HIGHWAY 25. WITH THE TREES AND POWER LINES ON BOTH SIDES OF HIGHWAY 25, THE PIC ABORTED LANDING ON HIGHWAY 25 DUE TO ONCOMING TRAFFIC AND OPTED TO LAND IN A FIELD. THE AIRCRAFT?S LEFT LEADING EDGE IMPACTED A TREE CAUSING THE LEFT WING TO BE SEPARATED FROM THE AIRCRAFT. CONSEQUENTIALLY, THE AIRCRAFT SPUN AROUND VIOLENTLY CAUSING THE RIGHT WING TO PARTIALLY BREAK LOOSE FROM THE AIRCRAFT AND LODGE VERTICALLY BETWEEN TWO LIMBS OF A TREE. AS A RESULT OF THIS ACCIDENT, THE PILOT SUFFERED A MINOR INJURY TO HIS HEAD. PIC WAS TREATED AND RELEASED FROM THE HOSPITAL LATER THAT EVENING. THERE WERE NO OTHER INJURIES REPORTED. THE AIRCRAFT RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE POINT OF BEING DESTROYED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.