What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
9-13-2022 - 2101 - Accident pilot reported to ATC he had lost thrust. The engine began sputtering and the accident pilot executed the engine failure checklist. The accident pilot reported swapping between left wing and right wing fuel tank multiple times as part of the engine failure checklist. A witness on the ground reported hearing the aircraft and they described what sounded like the engine experiencing fuel starvation.
The engine had quit running and the accident pilot began searching for an area to land. The most suitable location was lake ashby. Upon touchdown in the water the aircraft cartwheeled and came to a rest in the lake upside down. The pilot managed to escape through the broken canopy. The aircraft was recovered by a wrecking service who had cut off the wings of the aircraft outboard of the fuel tanks for ground transport.
Upon examination of the wreckage inspector watson found the fuel selector valve could not be uncovered upon initial examination due to debris from lake ashby. The accident pilot reported the left wing fuel tank was full at 20 gallons and the right wing fuel tank was at approximately half capacity at 10 gallons at the time of takeoff from thv. The accident pilot stated he selected the left wing fuel tank prior to engine start before the accident flight. He believed the aircraft was consuming fuel from the left wing fuel tank during the duration of the flight until he selected the right wing fuel tank during the engine failure checklist. Upon examination of the fuel tanks inspector watson found the right wing fuel tank was empty and the left wing fuel tank was full of fuel. No evidence of rupture was found on the right wing fuel tank and it appeared to be intact.
It is believed the fuel selector valve had malfunctioned and the aircraft was consuming fuel from the right fuel tank during the entire duration of the flight. It is believed the fuel selector valve was not capable of supplying fuel from the left wing tank due to the malfunction. It appears the aircraft engine had consumed the right fuel tank entirely which led to the engine failing due to fuel starvation. Investigation into the root cause is still ongoing.
As the FAA filed it
9-13-2022 - 2101 - ACCIDENT PILOT REPORTED TO ATC HE HAD LOST THRUST. THE ENGINE BEGAN SPUTTERING AND THE ACCIDENT PILOT EXECUTED THE ENGINE FAILURE CHECKLIST. THE ACCIDENT PILOT REPORTED SWAPPING BETWEEN LEFT WING AND RIGHT WING FUEL TANK MULTIPLE TIMES AS PART OF THE ENGINE FAILURE CHECKLIST. A WITNESS ON THE GROUND REPORTED HEARING THE AIRCRAFT AND THEY DESCRIBED WHAT SOUNDED LIKE THE ENGINE EXPERIENCING FUEL STARVATION.
THE ENGINE HAD QUIT RUNNING AND THE ACCIDENT PILOT BEGAN SEARCHING FOR AN AREA TO LAND. THE MOST SUITABLE LOCATION WAS LAKE ASHBY. UPON TOUCHDOWN IN THE WATER THE AIRCRAFT CARTWHEELED AND CAME TO A REST IN THE LAKE UPSIDE DOWN. THE PILOT MANAGED TO ESCAPE THROUGH THE BROKEN CANOPY. THE AIRCRAFT WAS RECOVERED BY A WRECKING SERVICE WHO HAD CUT OFF THE WINGS OF THE AIRCRAFT OUTBOARD OF THE FUEL TANKS FOR GROUND TRANSPORT.
UPON EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE INSPECTOR WATSON FOUND THE FUEL SELECTOR VALVE COULD NOT BE UNCOVERED UPON INITIAL EXAMINATION DUE TO DEBRIS FROM LAKE ASHBY. THE ACCIDENT PILOT REPORTED THE LEFT WING FUEL TANK WAS FULL AT 20 GALLONS AND THE RIGHT WING FUEL TANK WAS AT APPROXIMATELY HALF CAPACITY AT 10 GALLONS AT THE TIME OF TAKEOFF FROM THV. THE ACCIDENT PILOT STATED HE SELECTED THE LEFT WING FUEL TANK PRIOR TO ENGINE START BEFORE THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT. HE BELIEVED THE AIRCRAFT WAS CONSUMING FUEL FROM THE LEFT WING FUEL TANK DURING THE DURATION OF THE FLIGHT UNTIL HE SELECTED THE RIGHT WING FUEL TANK DURING THE ENGINE FAILURE CHECKLIST. UPON EXAMINATION OF THE FUEL TANKS INSPECTOR WATSON FOUND THE RIGHT WING FUEL TANK WAS EMPTY AND THE LEFT WING FUEL TANK WAS FULL OF FUEL. NO EVIDENCE OF RUPTURE WAS FOUND ON THE RIGHT WING FUEL TANK AND IT APPEARED TO BE INTACT.
IT IS BELIEVED THE FUEL SELECTOR VALVE HAD MALFUNCTIONED AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS CONSUMING FUEL FROM THE RIGHT FUEL TANK DURING THE ENTIRE DURATION OF THE FLIGHT. IT IS BELIEVED THE FUEL SELECTOR VALVE WAS NOT CAPABLE OF SUPPLYING FUEL FROM THE LEFT WING TANK DUE TO THE MALFUNCTION. IT APPEARS THE AIRCRAFT ENGINE HAD CONSUMED THE RIGHT FUEL TANK ENTIRELY WHICH LED TO THE ENGINE FAILING DUE TO FUEL STARVATION. INVESTIGATION INTO THE ROOT CAUSE IS STILL ONGOING.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.