What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The pilot had planned a flight from kceu to kmtv with a planned fuel stop at kbwg. He stopped at bwg as planned and, according to the receipt, added 10.5 gallons of fuel at 1511 UTC. The fuel pump is self serve. The pilot departed bwg shortly after that (approximately 1530 UTC). Takeoff and climbout were uneventful and the airplane leveled off at planned cruise altitude of 2500' MSL.
Approximately 1 hour after departure from bwg, the engine suddenly stopped producing power and the propeller stopped turning. The pilot attempted a restart with the electric starter. Although the propeller would turn, the engine would not restart. The pilot performed an emergency landing into a large soy bean field, but when the nose wheel contacted the ground, it became stuck and the airplane flipped over, causing substantial damage. When salvage crews arrived, the aircraft was uprighted, and it was discovered that the left fuel cap with missing. A search of the site did not find the fuel cap. The cap was later found next to the fuel pump at bwg.
As the FAA filed it
THE PILOT HAD PLANNED A FLIGHT FROM KCEU TO KMTV WITH A PLANNED FUEL STOP AT KBWG. HE STOPPED AT BWG AS PLANNED AND, ACCORDING TO THE RECEIPT, ADDED 10.5 GALLONS OF FUEL AT 1511 UTC. THE FUEL PUMP IS SELF SERVE. THE PILOT DEPARTED BWG SHORTLY AFTER THAT (APPROXIMATELY 1530 UTC). TAKEOFF AND CLIMBOUT WERE UNEVENTFUL AND THE AIRPLANE LEVELED OFF AT PLANNED CRUISE ALTITUDE OF 2500' MSL.
APPROXIMATELY 1 HOUR AFTER DEPARTURE FROM BWG, THE ENGINE SUDDENLY STOPPED PRODUCING POWER AND THE PROPELLER STOPPED TURNING. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED A RESTART WITH THE ELECTRIC STARTER. ALTHOUGH THE PROPELLER WOULD TURN, THE ENGINE WOULD NOT RESTART. THE PILOT PERFORMED AN EMERGENCY LANDING INTO A LARGE SOY BEAN FIELD, BUT WHEN THE NOSE WHEEL CONTACTED THE GROUND, IT BECAME STUCK AND THE AIRPLANE FLIPPED OVER, CAUSING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. WHEN SALVAGE CREWS ARRIVED, THE AIRCRAFT WAS UPRIGHTED, AND IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE LEFT FUEL CAP WITH MISSING. A SEARCH OF THE SITE DID NOT FIND THE FUEL CAP. THE CAP WAS LATER FOUND NEXT TO THE FUEL PUMP AT BWG.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.