What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The PIC of the accident airplane had just bought the aircraft in lodi, CA and was flying back to his hanger in Santa Maria, CA (smx). Before departure he filled the main fuel tank full with 28 gals. Of usuable fuel. He estimated he would need 20.3 gals. At 12 gph to reach smx and would have 7.7 gals. Remaining upon arriving smx. The PIC made an approach to smx but went around to get better aligned with the runway. On the 2nd approach he extended downwind a little to get a longer final. When he turned base he throttled back for landing then the engine lost all power. He could not make the runway so he picked a field close to the airport. On final for the field the PIC had to raise the nose to clear a hill, after clearing the hill he saw power lines and pulled the nose up to clear the lines. The tailwheel snagged the lines, the nose then piched shapley down. The tailwheel became clear of the lines then the airplane flew thru the branches of a tree. It then hit the ground nose steeply down then flipped onto its back and stopped. The pilot was uninjured and removed himself from the aircraft. The cause of the engine failure has yet to be determined. The NTSB is going to have the engine inspected to determine the loss of power.
As the FAA filed it
THE PIC OF THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE HAD JUST BOUGHT THE AIRCRAFT IN LODI, CA AND WAS FLYING BACK TO HIS HANGER IN SANTA MARIA, CA (SMX). BEFORE DEPARTURE HE FILLED THE MAIN FUEL TANK FULL WITH 28 GALS. OF USUABLE FUEL. HE ESTIMATED HE WOULD NEED 20.3 GALS. AT 12 GPH TO REACH SMX AND WOULD HAVE 7.7 GALS. REMAINING UPON ARRIVING SMX. THE PIC MADE AN APPROACH TO SMX BUT WENT AROUND TO GET BETTER ALIGNED WITH THE RUNWAY. ON THE 2ND APPROACH HE EXTENDED DOWNWIND A LITTLE TO GET A LONGER FINAL. WHEN HE TURNED BASE HE THROTTLED BACK FOR LANDING THEN THE ENGINE LOST ALL POWER. HE COULD NOT MAKE THE RUNWAY SO HE PICKED A FIELD CLOSE TO THE AIRPORT. ON FINAL FOR THE FIELD THE PIC HAD TO RAISE THE NOSE TO CLEAR A HILL, AFTER CLEARING THE HILL HE SAW POWER LINES AND PULLED THE NOSE UP TO CLEAR THE LINES. THE TAILWHEEL SNAGGED THE LINES, THE NOSE THEN PICHED SHAPLEY DOWN. THE TAILWHEEL BECAME CLEAR OF THE LINES THEN THE AIRPLANE FLEW THRU THE BRANCHES OF A TREE. IT THEN HIT THE GROUND NOSE STEEPLY DOWN THEN FLIPPED ONTO ITS BACK AND STOPPED. THE PILOT WAS UNINJURED AND REMOVED HIMSELF FROM THE AIRCRAFT. THE CAUSE OF THE ENGINE FAILURE HAS YET TO BE DETERMINED. THE NTSB IS GOING TO HAVE THE ENGINE INSPECTED TO DETERMINE THE LOSS OF POWER.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.