What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Afternoon of March. 14th 2024 pilot brought aircraft on skis out of hanger to load and fuel for preparation for flight. Pilot fueled right tank only with approximately 15 gallons. He dipped the left tank and nothing showed up on the dip stick because of aircraft attitude. Pilot claims fueling only one tank is a common practice to accomadate for aircraft loading and fuel managment. Once pilot is in aircraft he performs a mental checklist to verify aircraft is safe for flight with the acronym c.I.g.a.r. c - controls, I - instruments set, g - gas (fuel), a - altitude/attitude setting and r - run-up, all checks good. Pilot states he missed selecting the proper tank with fuel. The fuel selector was in the left tank setting rather than the right tank. Pilot states taxi was a bit stressful for the fact he had to climb out of aircraft 3 times to unstick the skis. This caused the pilot to be distracted before the final check before take-off. Pilot states take-off/climbout was normal. With in two minutes from take-off pilot states engine quit. Causing aircraft to nose over and contact the terrain below. No injuries.
As the FAA filed it
AFTERNOON OF MARCH. 14TH 2024 PILOT BROUGHT AIRCRAFT ON SKIS OUT OF HANGER TO LOAD AND FUEL FOR PREPARATION FOR FLIGHT. PILOT FUELED RIGHT TANK ONLY WITH APPROXIMATELY 15 GALLONS. HE DIPPED THE LEFT TANK AND NOTHING SHOWED UP ON THE DIP STICK BECAUSE OF AIRCRAFT ATTITUDE. PILOT CLAIMS FUELING ONLY ONE TANK IS A COMMON PRACTICE TO ACCOMADATE FOR AIRCRAFT LOADING AND FUEL MANAGMENT. ONCE PILOT IS IN AIRCRAFT HE PERFORMS A MENTAL CHECKLIST TO VERIFY AIRCRAFT IS SAFE FOR FLIGHT WITH THE ACRONYM C.I.G.A.R. C - CONTROLS, I - INSTRUMENTS SET, G - GAS (FUEL), A - ALTITUDE/ATTITUDE SETTING AND R - RUN-UP, ALL CHECKS GOOD. PILOT STATES HE MISSED SELECTING THE PROPER TANK WITH FUEL. THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS IN THE LEFT TANK SETTING RATHER THAN THE RIGHT TANK. PILOT STATES TAXI WAS A BIT STRESSFUL FOR THE FACT HE HAD TO CLIMB OUT OF AIRCRAFT 3 TIMES TO UNSTICK THE SKIS. THIS CAUSED THE PILOT TO BE DISTRACTED BEFORE THE FINAL CHECK BEFORE TAKE-OFF. PILOT STATES TAKE-OFF/CLIMBOUT WAS NORMAL. WITH IN TWO MINUTES FROM TAKE-OFF PILOT STATES ENGINE QUIT. CAUSING AIRCRAFT TO NOSE OVER AND CONTACT THE TERRAIN BELOW. NO INJURIES.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.