What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
FAA arrived on scene at 1630, met by county sheriff who advised that there was no indication of anything criminal. I provided pbr and compliance philosophy paperwork to the pilot and interviewed. Pilot stated he performed a sump of the aircraft but did not add any gas although he had added non-ethanol automotive gas before January 1st. I sumped the tanks and noted no blue dye or water present. I opened the over wing RH tank and found fuel. I opened the LH over wing tank and found the tank dry with minimal unusable. The fuel selector switch was found in the "on" position. Note: (the fuel selector has on and off only.) Pilot states that he did not perform fueling or visually check but rather noted the fuel gauges on both tanks noted ¼ full. Pilot states that approx. 25 minutes into the flight he started having engine power loss. He noted mixture full rich and power full, neither helped. He landed in a field shortly after. See pilot statement* “I departed klbr on rwy 18 around 1230 hours on 19 February 2024. I flew a southerly heading to fly direct to kosa. Around 25 minutes into the flight while at around 1500' MSL, the engine started to lose power, sputtered and would regain some power again followed by more surging power lose. I immediately started to pick out a safe landing area. I spotted a concrete driveway running north and south that I liked so I started a left hand turn to land on it. I was too close to it to land into the wind going south so I made a right hand turn to come around and land on the driveway to the north. Once approaching it on the south end I realized I'm still too high to make it on the driveway downwind so I continued into the grass field just east of the driveway. I landed in the field downwind, continued a left turn on the ground to avoid the trees and chose a spot without trees to align the aircraft direction with. The aircraft stopped as it went into a barb wire/t-post fence and rested in a ditch along cr 1910. Nothing follows.” he over shot his landing and ran into a barbed-wire fence and immediately a ditch resulting in the collapse of the nose landing gear and a single prop bend crushing the cowl."
Took photographs and obtained maintenance records. (See photos)
As the FAA filed it
FAA ARRIVED ON SCENE AT 1630, MET BY COUNTY SHERIFF WHO ADVISED THAT THERE WAS NO INDICATION OF ANYTHING CRIMINAL. I PROVIDED PBR AND COMPLIANCE PHILOSOPHY PAPERWORK TO THE PILOT AND INTERVIEWED. PILOT STATED HE PERFORMED A SUMP OF THE AIRCRAFT BUT DID NOT ADD ANY GAS ALTHOUGH HE HAD ADDED NON-ETHANOL AUTOMOTIVE GAS BEFORE JANUARY 1ST. I SUMPED THE TANKS AND NOTED NO BLUE DYE OR WATER PRESENT. I OPENED THE OVER WING RH TANK AND FOUND FUEL. I OPENED THE LH OVER WING TANK AND FOUND THE TANK DRY WITH MINIMAL UNUSABLE. THE FUEL SELECTOR SWITCH WAS FOUND IN THE "ON" POSITION. NOTE: (THE FUEL SELECTOR HAS ON AND OFF ONLY.) PILOT STATES THAT HE DID NOT PERFORM FUELING OR VISUALLY CHECK BUT RATHER NOTED THE FUEL GAUGES ON BOTH TANKS NOTED ¼ FULL. PILOT STATES THAT APPROX. 25 MINUTES INTO THE FLIGHT HE STARTED HAVING ENGINE POWER LOSS. HE NOTED MIXTURE FULL RICH AND POWER FULL, NEITHER HELPED. HE LANDED IN A FIELD SHORTLY AFTER. SEE PILOT STATEMENT* “I DEPARTED KLBR ON RWY 18 AROUND 1230 HOURS ON 19 FEBRUARY 2024. I FLEW A SOUTHERLY HEADING TO FLY DIRECT TO KOSA. AROUND 25 MINUTES INTO THE FLIGHT WHILE AT AROUND 1500' MSL, THE ENGINE STARTED TO LOSE POWER, SPUTTERED AND WOULD REGAIN SOME POWER AGAIN FOLLOWED BY MORE SURGING POWER LOSE. I IMMEDIATELY STARTED TO PICK OUT A SAFE LANDING AREA. I SPOTTED A CONCRETE DRIVEWAY RUNNING NORTH AND SOUTH THAT I LIKED SO I STARTED A LEFT HAND TURN TO LAND ON IT. I WAS TOO CLOSE TO IT TO LAND INTO THE WIND GOING SOUTH SO I MADE A RIGHT HAND TURN TO COME AROUND AND LAND ON THE DRIVEWAY TO THE NORTH. ONCE APPROACHING IT ON THE SOUTH END I REALIZED I'M STILL TOO HIGH TO MAKE IT ON THE DRIVEWAY DOWNWIND SO I CONTINUED INTO THE GRASS FIELD JUST EAST OF THE DRIVEWAY. I LANDED IN THE FIELD DOWNWIND, CONTINUED A LEFT TURN ON THE GROUND TO AVOID THE TREES AND CHOSE A SPOT WITHOUT TREES TO ALIGN THE AIRCRAFT DIRECTION WITH. THE AIRCRAFT STOPPED AS IT WENT INTO A BARB WIRE/T-POST FENCE AND RESTED IN A DITCH ALONG CR 1910. NOTHING FOLLOWS.” HE OVER SHOT HIS LANDING AND RAN INTO A BARBED-WIRE FENCE AND IMMEDIATELY A DITCH RESULTING IN THE COLLAPSE OF THE NOSE LANDING GEAR AND A SINGLE PROP BEND CRUSHING THE COWL."
TOOK PHOTOGRAPHS AND OBTAINED MAINTENANCE RECORDS. (SEE PHOTOS)
Other reports on N50581 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.