What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Personal statement of pilot in command:
We were asked by the privacy data omitted to do local return to service flights for N5019B before he picked up the plane from maintenance and then fly the aircraft to California. On the evening on 2/3. Completed preflight, verified oil quantity
Right fuel aux full, right main approx. 2/3 left main full and left aux full. Per preflight check list, tanks sumped, found clean. ATIS weather reported VFR, south wind 8 knots temperature 65. Runup and takeoff check lists completed and aircraft systems found safe for flight. Uneventful takeoff on runway 14 and climb to 1800 feet, west of airport to remain clear of the traffic pattern and remain within gliding distance if problems occurred.
After about 20 minutes, the aircraft experienced loss of fuel pressure while maneuvering approximately 2 miles west of the airfield descending to approx. 1300 feet, in preparation to go south, then east of the field, then join the 45 inbound
For landing 14. Losing power unexpectedly, the aircraft was maneuvered to best glide speed and turned toward the field. During this time, the manual auxiliary (wobble) pump handle was utilized to return fuel pressure. The engine briefly burbled and a radio call was made to expedite landing 32. While continuing to wobble the auxiliary pump to
Return fuel pressure, the engine failed to start. Descending rapidly west of the field, approaching a left downwind 32, with a windmilling propeller, another "landing 32" radio call was made, continued pumping of the aux pump, the engine
Burbled again. The gear was lowered. At the final 50 feet of altitude, the aircraft was maneuvered to avoid a large hangar near the south end of the runway and a ditch that runs parallel to the runway. The maneuvering to avoid these obstacles and lack of power resulted in minimum speed and a more rapid decent rate. The aircraft made a level, hard landing nearly parallel to runway 32, 15 feet from the edge of the runway, on a sloping grass embankment. The aircraft skidded to a stop on the runway surface. No injuries. The plane was moved to a safe area as sunset and landing traffic
Was approaching.
As the FAA filed it
PERSONAL STATEMENT OF PILOT IN COMMAND:
WE WERE ASKED BY THE ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ TO DO LOCAL RETURN TO SERVICE FLIGHTS FOR N5019B BEFORE HE PICKED UP THE PLANE FROM MAINTENANCE AND THEN FLY THE AIRCRAFT TO CALIFORNIA. ON THE EVENING ON 2/3. COMPLETED PREFLIGHT, VERIFIED OIL QUANTITY
RIGHT FUEL AUX FULL, RIGHT MAIN APPROX. 2/3 LEFT MAIN FULL AND LEFT AUX FULL. PER PREFLIGHT CHECK LIST, TANKS SUMPED, FOUND CLEAN. ATIS WEATHER REPORTED VFR, SOUTH WIND 8 KNOTS TEMPERATURE 65. RUNUP AND TAKEOFF CHECK LISTS COMPLETED AND AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS FOUND SAFE FOR FLIGHT. UNEVENTFUL TAKEOFF ON RUNWAY 14 AND CLIMB TO 1800 FEET, WEST OF AIRPORT TO REMAIN CLEAR OF THE TRAFFIC PATTERN AND REMAIN WITHIN GLIDING DISTANCE IF PROBLEMS OCCURRED.
AFTER ABOUT 20 MINUTES, THE AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED LOSS OF FUEL PRESSURE WHILE MANEUVERING APPROXIMATELY 2 MILES WEST OF THE AIRFIELD DESCENDING TO APPROX. 1300 FEET, IN PREPARATION TO GO SOUTH, THEN EAST OF THE FIELD, THEN JOIN THE 45 INBOUND
FOR LANDING 14. LOSING POWER UNEXPECTEDLY, THE AIRCRAFT WAS MANEUVERED TO BEST GLIDE SPEED AND TURNED TOWARD THE FIELD. DURING THIS TIME, THE MANUAL AUXILIARY (WOBBLE) PUMP HANDLE WAS UTILIZED TO RETURN FUEL PRESSURE. THE ENGINE BRIEFLY BURBLED AND A RADIO CALL WAS MADE TO EXPEDITE LANDING 32. WHILE CONTINUING TO WOBBLE THE AUXILIARY PUMP TO
RETURN FUEL PRESSURE, THE ENGINE FAILED TO START. DESCENDING RAPIDLY WEST OF THE FIELD, APPROACHING A LEFT DOWNWIND 32, WITH A WINDMILLING PROPELLER, ANOTHER "LANDING 32" RADIO CALL WAS MADE, CONTINUED PUMPING OF THE AUX PUMP, THE ENGINE
BURBLED AGAIN. THE GEAR WAS LOWERED. AT THE FINAL 50 FEET OF ALTITUDE, THE AIRCRAFT WAS MANEUVERED TO AVOID A LARGE HANGAR NEAR THE SOUTH END OF THE RUNWAY AND A DITCH THAT RUNS PARALLEL TO THE RUNWAY. THE MANEUVERING TO AVOID THESE OBSTACLES AND LACK OF POWER RESULTED IN MINIMUM SPEED AND A MORE RAPID DECENT RATE. THE AIRCRAFT MADE A LEVEL, HARD LANDING NEARLY PARALLEL TO RUNWAY 32, 15 FEET FROM THE EDGE OF THE RUNWAY, ON A SLOPING GRASS EMBANKMENT. THE AIRCRAFT SKIDDED TO A STOP ON THE RUNWAY SURFACE. NO INJURIES. THE PLANE WAS MOVED TO A SAFE AREA AS SUNSET AND LANDING TRAFFIC
WAS APPROACHING.