What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
PIC statement:
Twice during the flight I felt the airplane was tracking to much to the left so I added a couple of notchs of rudder trim. This did not seem to make much difference. Approximately 30 NM for kpmu I switched the fuel selector from both to left and after approximately one minute I encountered fuel starvation, then switched back to both. I switched to the left tank again 13 NM from kpmu, my intended refuel airport, and once again I encountered fuel starvation. I switched back to both because I knew I had good fuel flow. Seeing that kpmu was 12 minutes away, I decided to divert to kmms as I knew I could make it there before running out of fuel.
On my first attempt to land, I had difficulty maintaining a straight descent to the runway. When I did touch down, the airplane immediately turned to the left, so I added power for a go-around. While trying to line up again on the centerline, once again I could not maintain a normal straight in approach. I tried to tell what, if any, rudder control I had, and it appeared I did not have any rudder control. Once again when I attempted to land, as soon as the wheels touched the runway the airplane turned to the left and once again added power to do another go-around. I tried everything again for a third time and had all the same results. On the last go-around, I knew I had to put the airplane down as I was expecting the engine to fail from fuel starvation. I knew I was fighting the airplane up until I lost my memory of what was going on. The last thing I remember is just going off the side of the runway.
As the FAA filed it
PIC STATEMENT:
TWICE DURING THE FLIGHT I FELT THE AIRPLANE WAS TRACKING TO MUCH TO THE LEFT SO I ADDED A COUPLE OF NOTCHS OF RUDDER TRIM. THIS DID NOT SEEM TO MAKE MUCH DIFFERENCE. APPROXIMATELY 30 NM FOR KPMU I SWITCHED THE FUEL SELECTOR FROM BOTH TO LEFT AND AFTER APPROXIMATELY ONE MINUTE I ENCOUNTERED FUEL STARVATION, THEN SWITCHED BACK TO BOTH. I SWITCHED TO THE LEFT TANK AGAIN 13 NM FROM KPMU, MY INTENDED REFUEL AIRPORT, AND ONCE AGAIN I ENCOUNTERED FUEL STARVATION. I SWITCHED BACK TO BOTH BECAUSE I KNEW I HAD GOOD FUEL FLOW. SEEING THAT KPMU WAS 12 MINUTES AWAY, I DECIDED TO DIVERT TO KMMS AS I KNEW I COULD MAKE IT THERE BEFORE RUNNING OUT OF FUEL.
ON MY FIRST ATTEMPT TO LAND, I HAD DIFFICULTY MAINTAINING A STRAIGHT DESCENT TO THE RUNWAY. WHEN I DID TOUCH DOWN, THE AIRPLANE IMMEDIATELY TURNED TO THE LEFT, SO I ADDED POWER FOR A GO-AROUND. WHILE TRYING TO LINE UP AGAIN ON THE CENTERLINE, ONCE AGAIN I COULD NOT MAINTAIN A NORMAL STRAIGHT IN APPROACH. I TRIED TO TELL WHAT, IF ANY, RUDDER CONTROL I HAD, AND IT APPEARED I DID NOT HAVE ANY RUDDER CONTROL. ONCE AGAIN WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO LAND, AS SOON AS THE WHEELS TOUCHED THE RUNWAY THE AIRPLANE TURNED TO THE LEFT AND ONCE AGAIN ADDED POWER TO DO ANOTHER GO-AROUND. I TRIED EVERYTHING AGAIN FOR A THIRD TIME AND HAD ALL THE SAME RESULTS. ON THE LAST GO-AROUND, I KNEW I HAD TO PUT THE AIRPLANE DOWN AS I WAS EXPECTING THE ENGINE TO FAIL FROM FUEL STARVATION. I KNEW I WAS FIGHTING THE AIRPLANE UP UNTIL I LOST MY MEMORY OF WHAT WAS GOING ON. THE LAST THING I REMEMBER IS JUST GOING OFF THE SIDE OF THE RUNWAY.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.