What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
I called and spoke with the pilot of N98615, privacy data omitted, concerning his accident on 10/23/2020. privacy data omittedImmediately admitted that he had run out of gas. I asked him what happened. privacy data omitted Stated that he had done a preflight of his aircraft and noted that the fuel floats indicated that the tanks were full. He also looked in a separate book he keeps to track when he last fueled, that he had only flown .4 hours. He went out for a local flight, on his way back to gillispie airport (ksee), he noticed that his fuel tank floats now read empty. Wells said he could see ksee and was preparing to land on runway 17 due to the fact that he was so close to that runway. He contacted ksee tower. The tower told him to follow a Beech duchess on final for 27R. privacy data omitted Said he began following traffic for the other runway (27R) and then ran out of gas. He made an emergency landing in a schoolyard about 3 miles from the airport. When he touched down in the schoolyard he noticed a fence coming up quickly. He decided to ground loop the aircraft to stop it prior to the fence. This caused the aircrafts right wing to strike a portion of the fence. The right wing main spar was damaged.
I asked the pilot why he did not let tower know that he was low on fuel when he was abeam runway 17. He stated that he was thinking about it, when he was asked to follow the aircraft on final for runway 27R and ?lost his train of thought.? I asked him to clarify how he normally does his preflight. He stated that he normally checks his fuel indicators, opens the tanks, and dips them with a stick. On this preflight, he said he only checked his fuel indicators. privacy data omitted Said he did not open the tanks and dip the tanks with the stick, prior to this flight.
As the FAA filed it
I CALLED AND SPOKE WITH THE PILOT OF N98615, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, CONCERNING HIS ACCIDENT ON 10/23/2020. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^IMMEDIATELY ADMITTED THAT HE HAD RUN OUT OF GAS. I ASKED HIM WHAT HAPPENED. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STATED THAT HE HAD DONE A PREFLIGHT OF HIS AIRCRAFT AND NOTED THAT THE FUEL FLOATS INDICATED THAT THE TANKS WERE FULL. HE ALSO LOOKED IN A SEPARATE BOOK HE KEEPS TO TRACK WHEN HE LAST FUELED, THAT HE HAD ONLY FLOWN .4 HOURS. HE WENT OUT FOR A LOCAL FLIGHT, ON HIS WAY BACK TO GILLISPIE AIRPORT (KSEE), HE NOTICED THAT HIS FUEL TANK FLOATS NOW READ EMPTY. WELLS SAID HE COULD SEE KSEE AND WAS PREPARING TO LAND ON RUNWAY 17 DUE TO THE FACT THAT HE WAS SO CLOSE TO THAT RUNWAY. HE CONTACTED KSEE TOWER. THE TOWER TOLD HIM TO FOLLOW A BEECH DUCHESS ON FINAL FOR 27R. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ SAID HE BEGAN FOLLOWING TRAFFIC FOR THE OTHER RUNWAY (27R) AND THEN RAN OUT OF GAS. HE MADE AN EMERGENCY LANDING IN A SCHOOLYARD ABOUT 3 MILES FROM THE AIRPORT. WHEN HE TOUCHED DOWN IN THE SCHOOLYARD HE NOTICED A FENCE COMING UP QUICKLY. HE DECIDED TO GROUND LOOP THE AIRCRAFT TO STOP IT PRIOR TO THE FENCE. THIS CAUSED THE AIRCRAFTS RIGHT WING TO STRIKE A PORTION OF THE FENCE. THE RIGHT WING MAIN SPAR WAS DAMAGED.
I ASKED THE PILOT WHY HE DID NOT LET TOWER KNOW THAT HE WAS LOW ON FUEL WHEN HE WAS ABEAM RUNWAY 17. HE STATED THAT HE WAS THINKING ABOUT IT, WHEN HE WAS ASKED TO FOLLOW THE AIRCRAFT ON FINAL FOR RUNWAY 27R AND ?LOST HIS TRAIN OF THOUGHT.? I ASKED HIM TO CLARIFY HOW HE NORMALLY DOES HIS PREFLIGHT. HE STATED THAT HE NORMALLY CHECKS HIS FUEL INDICATORS, OPENS THE TANKS, AND DIPS THEM WITH A STICK. ON THIS PREFLIGHT, HE SAID HE ONLY CHECKED HIS FUEL INDICATORS. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ SAID HE DID NOT OPEN THE TANKS AND DIP THE TANKS WITH THE STICK, PRIOR TO THIS FLIGHT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.