What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Pilot checked weather and performed prefilght inspection of a/c. preflight reflected 6 ½ quarts of oil in the engine, and fuel guage indicated 30 gallons of fuel on board. Visual inspection showed fuel in both tanks, under the tabs, consistent with the fuel gauges. No abnormalities regarding the aircraft on visual inspection. The preflight runup of the engine revealed nothing unusual after all checks performed. Aircraft departed airfield NE36 in daylight VFR conditions with only the pilot onboard. No abnormalities were noted during takeoff or climb. Pilot climbed to 1500FT AGL and proceeded on course with the autopilot holding both altitude and heading enroute to kgri. While enroute, somewhere between approximately broken bow and loup city, Nebraska, the engine missed briefly. Just north of Boelus, NE, the engine sputtered briefly and then stopped completely. Pilot initiated restart proceedures. Pilot cycled ignition as soon as the engine first missed. The engine stopped just after being cycled off magneto #1 and did not restart when it was switched back on and magneto # 2 shut down briefly. Pilot turned on the fuel boost pump, which is normally off during the enroute phase of flight and cycled the fuel tanks. The fuel gauge indicated more fuel in one tank, so pilot kept the fuel selector on the fuller tank. Engine did not restart. Pilot determined there were no viable locations to land and depolyed the parachute. Aircraft came to rest in a cornfield and sustained substantial damage.
During recovery, APPROXIMATELY15 gallons of fuel were drained from the right wing tank and 5 gallons were drained from the left wing tank. Another 1 or 2 gallons were lost through the fuel tank vents when the airplane was lifted.
As the FAA filed it
PILOT CHECKED WEATHER AND PERFORMED PREFILGHT INSPECTION OF A/C. PREFLIGHT REFLECTED 6 ½ QUARTS OF OIL IN THE ENGINE, AND FUEL GUAGE INDICATED 30 GALLONS OF FUEL ON BOARD. VISUAL INSPECTION SHOWED FUEL IN BOTH TANKS, UNDER THE TABS, CONSISTENT WITH THE FUEL GAUGES. NO ABNORMALITIES REGARDING THE AIRCRAFT ON VISUAL INSPECTION. THE PREFLIGHT RUNUP OF THE ENGINE REVEALED NOTHING UNUSUAL AFTER ALL CHECKS PERFORMED. AIRCRAFT DEPARTED AIRFIELD NE36 IN DAYLIGHT VFR CONDITIONS WITH ONLY THE PILOT ONBOARD. NO ABNORMALITIES WERE NOTED DURING TAKEOFF OR CLIMB. PILOT CLIMBED TO 1500FT AGL AND PROCEEDED ON COURSE WITH THE AUTOPILOT HOLDING BOTH ALTITUDE AND HEADING ENROUTE TO KGRI. WHILE ENROUTE, SOMEWHERE BETWEEN APPROXIMATELY BROKEN BOW AND LOUP CITY, NEBRASKA, THE ENGINE MISSED BRIEFLY. JUST NORTH OF BOELUS, NE, THE ENGINE SPUTTERED BRIEFLY AND THEN STOPPED COMPLETELY. PILOT INITIATED RESTART PROCEEDURES. PILOT CYCLED IGNITION AS SOON AS THE ENGINE FIRST MISSED. THE ENGINE STOPPED JUST AFTER BEING CYCLED OFF MAGNETO #1 AND DID NOT RESTART WHEN IT WAS SWITCHED BACK ON AND MAGNETO # 2 SHUT DOWN BRIEFLY. PILOT TURNED ON THE FUEL BOOST PUMP, WHICH IS NORMALLY OFF DURING THE ENROUTE PHASE OF FLIGHT AND CYCLED THE FUEL TANKS. THE FUEL GAUGE INDICATED MORE FUEL IN ONE TANK, SO PILOT KEPT THE FUEL SELECTOR ON THE FULLER TANK. ENGINE DID NOT RESTART. PILOT DETERMINED THERE WERE NO VIABLE LOCATIONS TO LAND AND DEPOLYED THE PARACHUTE. AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST IN A CORNFIELD AND SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE.
DURING RECOVERY, APPROXIMATELY15 GALLONS OF FUEL WERE DRAINED FROM THE RIGHT WING TANK AND 5 GALLONS WERE DRAINED FROM THE LEFT WING TANK. ANOTHER 1 OR 2 GALLONS WERE LOST THROUGH THE FUEL TANK VENTS WHEN THE AIRPLANE WAS LIFTED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.