What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
According to the pilot, while in route from quincy ill (kuni) to berryville ar (4MI) at cruise altitude of 4500 MSL, with the fuel slector in the right tip tank position, the aircraft suddenly lost engine power. With the propeller windmilling, the pilot attempted to restart the engine but was unsuccessful. The pilot configured the aircraft for an emergency landing, on what appeared to be a suitable field, however the aircraft hit unforeseen high tension power lines while on approach to the field. The aircraft nose gear caught the upper high tension wire, presumably the ground wire, which resulted in the aircraft being flipped over and coming to rest in an inverted position in the field. The pilot sustained an injury to his face requiring several sutures but was otherwise uninjured. The aircraft was substantially damaged by impact forces. On scene FAA inspectors, determined there was several gallons of fuel in the right tip tank. The right main was nearly full and left main had approximatly 15 gallons remaining. The left tip tank was breached due to impact forces. Fuel was present in the main fuel strainer and the finger strainer at the inlet of the fuel servo. FAA inspectors were able to verify proper function of the fuel slector, including notable detents. The aircraft was transported by an aircraft recovery team, to a suitable facility for further inspection by NTSB personnel.
As the FAA filed it
ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, WHILE IN ROUTE FROM QUINCY ILL (KUNI) TO BERRYVILLE AR (4MI) AT CRUISE ALTITUDE OF 4500 MSL, WITH THE FUEL SLECTOR IN THE RIGHT TIP TANK POSITION, THE AIRCRAFT SUDDENLY LOST ENGINE POWER. WITH THE PROPELLER WINDMILLING, THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO RESTART THE ENGINE BUT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. THE PILOT CONFIGURED THE AIRCRAFT FOR AN EMERGENCY LANDING, ON WHAT APPEARED TO BE A SUITABLE FIELD, HOWEVER THE AIRCRAFT HIT UNFORESEEN HIGH TENSION POWER LINES WHILE ON APPROACH TO THE FIELD. THE AIRCRAFT NOSE GEAR CAUGHT THE UPPER HIGH TENSION WIRE, PRESUMABLY THE GROUND WIRE, WHICH RESULTED IN THE AIRCRAFT BEING FLIPPED OVER AND COMING TO REST IN AN INVERTED POSITION IN THE FIELD.THE PILOT SUSTAINED AN INJURY TO HIS FACE REQUIRING SEVERAL SUTURES BUT WAS OTHERWISE UNINJURED. THE AIRCRAFT WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED BY IMPACT FORCES. ON SCENE FAA INSPECTORS, DETERMINED THERE WAS SEVERAL GALLONS OF FUEL IN THE RIGHT TIP TANK. THE RIGHT MAIN WAS NEARLY FULL AND LEFT MAIN HAD APPROXIMATLY 15 GALLONS REMAINING. THE LEFT TIP TANK WAS BREACHED DUE TO IMPACT FORCES. FUEL WAS PRESENT IN THE MAIN FUEL STRAINER AND THE FINGER STRAINER AT THE INLET OF THE FUEL SERVO. FAA INSPECTORS WERE ABLE TO VERIFY PROPER FUNCTION OF THE FUEL SLECTOR, INCLUDING NOTABLE DETENTS. THE AIRCRAFT WAS TRANSPORTED BY AN AIRCRAFT RECOVERY TEAM, TO A SUITABLE FACILITY FOR FURTHER INSPECTION BY NTSB PERSONNEL.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.