What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On June 02, 2022 at approximately 1:20PM CDT pilot departed medina river ranch (XS43) for a planned 1 hour test flight. This flight was the 3rd flight for an installed gearbox. Per viking aircraft engine instructions, the gear oil was to be changed each hour for the first 5 hours.
Departure was normal and pilot made 2 orbits around XS43 monitoring engine and gearbox temperatures. Temperatures normalized around 195 degrees for the engine coolant and 155 degrees for the gearbox. After the 2nd orbit pilot made a larger orbit following medina lake. Temperatures remained the same, so he ventured north around the city of bandera and then back towards XS43. At this point pilot had been airborne around 30 minutes and decided to finish the next 30 minutes by flying towards 8T8, kcvb, khdo and then return and land at XS43. At this point, pilot switched from the left fuel tank to the right fuel tank.
The fuel system on this aircraft has both wing tanks gravity feed into a 2.5 gal header tank via a valve located slightly behind the pilot between the 2 seats. The header tank has 2 internal fuel pumps that feed an engine driven pump to the fuel injected engine.
When pilot was approximately 1 or 2 miles west of 8T8 and decided to make a right turn and head towards kcvb. Shortly after making the turn the engine died. Pilot stated he thought he might have accidentally ran out of gas, so he glanced at the header tank fuel gage, pilot stated the fuel gauge was reading full.
Pilot stated he was close to 8T8, he turned in that direction and called mayday over 122.9 (8T8 CTAF). Realizing I could not successfully make 8T8, the opted for highway 211 that is under construction and aligned the aircraft with the road. At this point the pilot made a second mayday call on 122.9 stating that he was not going to make it to the airport and would try the road. Someone on the frequency responded that they were heading in my direction and would call authorities. Unfortunately, there were several construction vehicles on the road. I had hoped they would see me approaching and move. When I realized, they were not going to move, rather than impacting a vehicle and possibly injuring someone on the ground, the pilot attempted to land in a mowed wheat field east of the road. The wheat field is surrounded by a fence. Pilot stated that his AGL was too low to clear the fence, and he made contact with the fence, the aircraft stopped quickly and nosed over coming to rest inverted.
The aircraft is equipped with 5-point seat belts. Pilot released his belt and dropped into the dirt. The upper plexiglass top broke during the rollover. Once on the ground and sitting upright, pilot reached back into the aircraft turning off the battery switches. At this point, 2 gentlemen from the construction vehicles pointed out that fuel was leaking from filler vents and assisted the pilot to his feet and over the fence. They also indicated that they had called 911.
First responders found the crash site. Pilot was evaluated by EMS and allowed to refuse transport to the hospital. Only minor scratches.
As the FAA filed it
ON JUNE 02, 2022 AT APPROXIMATELY 1:20PM CDT PILOT DEPARTED MEDINA RIVER RANCH (XS43) FOR A PLANNED 1 HOUR TEST FLIGHT. THIS FLIGHT WAS THE 3RD FLIGHT FOR AN INSTALLED GEARBOX. PER VIKING AIRCRAFT ENGINE INSTRUCTIONS, THE GEAR OIL WAS TO BE CHANGED EACH HOUR FOR THE FIRST 5 HOURS.
DEPARTURE WAS NORMAL AND PILOT MADE 2 ORBITS AROUND XS43 MONITORING ENGINE AND GEARBOX TEMPERATURES. TEMPERATURES NORMALIZED AROUND 195 DEGREES FOR THE ENGINE COOLANT AND 155 DEGREES FOR THE GEARBOX. AFTER THE 2ND ORBIT PILOT MADE A LARGER ORBIT FOLLOWING MEDINA LAKE. TEMPERATURES REMAINED THE SAME, SO HE VENTURED NORTH AROUND THE CITY OF BANDERA AND THEN BACK TOWARDS XS43. AT THIS POINT PILOT HAD BEEN AIRBORNE AROUND 30 MINUTES AND DECIDED TO FINISH THE NEXT 30 MINUTES BY FLYING TOWARDS 8T8, KCVB, KHDO AND THEN RETURN AND LAND AT XS43. AT THIS POINT, PILOT SWITCHED FROM THE LEFT FUEL TANK TO THE RIGHT FUEL TANK.
THE FUEL SYSTEM ON THIS AIRCRAFT HAS BOTH WING TANKS GRAVITY FEED INTO A 2.5 GAL HEADER TANK VIA A VALVE LOCATED SLIGHTLY BEHIND THE PILOT BETWEEN THE 2 SEATS. THE HEADER TANK HAS 2 INTERNAL FUEL PUMPS THAT FEED AN ENGINE DRIVEN PUMP TO THE FUEL INJECTED ENGINE.
WHEN PILOT WAS APPROXIMATELY 1 OR 2 MILES WEST OF 8T8 AND DECIDED TO MAKE A RIGHT TURN AND HEAD TOWARDS KCVB. SHORTLY AFTER MAKING THE TURN THE ENGINE DIED. PILOT STATED HE THOUGHT HE MIGHT HAVE ACCIDENTALLY RAN OUT OF GAS, SO HE GLANCED AT THE HEADER TANK FUEL GAGE, PILOT STATED THE FUEL GAUGE WAS READING FULL.
PILOT STATED HE WAS CLOSE TO 8T8, HE TURNED IN THAT DIRECTION AND CALLED MAYDAY OVER 122.9 (8T8 CTAF). REALIZING I COULD NOT SUCCESSFULLY MAKE 8T8, THE OPTED FOR HIGHWAY 211 THAT IS UNDER CONSTRUCTION AND ALIGNED THE AIRCRAFT WITH THE ROAD. AT THIS POINT THE PILOT MADE A SECOND MAYDAY CALL ON 122.9 STATING THAT HE WAS NOT GOING TO MAKE IT TO THE AIRPORT AND WOULD TRY THE ROAD. SOMEONE ON THE FREQUENCY RESPONDED THAT THEY WERE HEADING IN MY DIRECTION AND WOULD CALL AUTHORITIES. UNFORTUNATELY, THERE WERE SEVERAL CONSTRUCTION VEHICLES ON THE ROAD. I HAD HOPED THEY WOULD SEE ME APPROACHING AND MOVE. WHEN I REALIZED, THEY WERE NOT GOING TO MOVE, RATHER THAN IMPACTING A VEHICLE AND POSSIBLY INJURING SOMEONE ON THE GROUND, THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO LAND IN A MOWED WHEAT FIELD EAST OF THE ROAD. THE WHEAT FIELD IS SURROUNDED BY A FENCE. PILOT STATED THAT HIS AGL WAS TOO LOW TO CLEAR THE FENCE, AND HE MADE CONTACT WITH THE FENCE, THE AIRCRAFT STOPPED QUICKLY AND NOSED OVER COMING TO REST INVERTED.
THE AIRCRAFT IS EQUIPPED WITH 5-POINT SEAT BELTS. PILOT RELEASED HIS BELT AND DROPPED INTO THE DIRT. THE UPPER PLEXIGLASS TOP BROKE DURING THE ROLLOVER. ONCE ON THE GROUND AND SITTING UPRIGHT, PILOT REACHED BACK INTO THE AIRCRAFT TURNING OFF THE BATTERY SWITCHES. AT THIS POINT, 2 GENTLEMEN FROM THE CONSTRUCTION VEHICLES POINTED OUT THAT FUEL WAS LEAKING FROM FILLER VENTS AND ASSISTED THE PILOT TO HIS FEET AND OVER THE FENCE. THEY ALSO INDICATED THAT THEY HAD CALLED 911.
FIRST RESPONDERS FOUND THE CRASH SITE. PILOT WAS EVALUATED BY EMS AND ALLOWED TO REFUSE TRANSPORT TO THE HOSPITAL. ONLY MINOR SCRATCHES.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.