What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On June 17, 2024, approximately 1415 eastern time, an experimental homebuilt airplane, was involved in an aircraft accident near Methuen, Massachusetts. The aircraft sustained substantial damage and the private pilot was fatally injured. The aircraft was operated under title 14 CFR part 91 personal flight. Shortly after takeoff, the pilot stated, he was having a “problem". The tower controller cleared the pilot to land on any runway, the aircraft did not return to the runway and was observed making a slow shallow controlled decent over the merrimack river where it was later found inverted in about 3 feet of water.
Post accident evaluation of the aircraft determined that the right fuel tank contained no fuel and that the left tank contained approximately 18 gallons of fuel. The fuel selector was found in the right tank position. The fuel distribution lines and carburetor were found void of fuel. Post-accident operation of the engine was satisfactory with fuel added to the right tank and fuel selector in the right tank position. The engine was also operated satisfactory from the left tank with the fuel selector rotated to the left tank position.
Engine teardown showed no evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operations.
As the FAA filed it
ON JUNE 17, 2024, APPROXIMATELY 1415 EASTERN TIME, AN EXPERIMENTAL HOMEBUILT AIRPLANE, WAS INVOLVED IN AN AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT NEAR METHUEN, MASSACHUSETTS. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE AND THE PRIVATE PILOT WAS FATALLY INJURED. THE AIRCRAFT WAS OPERATED UNDER TITLE 14 CFR PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT. SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF, THE PILOT STATED, HE WAS HAVING A “PROBLEM". THE TOWER CONTROLLER CLEARED THE PILOT TO LAND ON ANY RUNWAY, THE AIRCRAFT DID NOT RETURN TO THE RUNWAY AND WAS OBSERVED MAKING A SLOW SHALLOW CONTROLLED DECENT OVER THE MERRIMACK RIVER WHERE IT WAS LATER FOUND INVERTED IN ABOUT 3 FEET OF WATER.
POST ACCIDENT EVALUATION OF THE AIRCRAFT DETERMINED THAT THE RIGHT FUEL TANK CONTAINED NO FUEL AND THAT THE LEFT TANK CONTAINED APPROXIMATELY 18 GALLONS OF FUEL. THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS FOUND IN THE RIGHT TANK POSITION. THE FUEL DISTRIBUTION LINES AND CARBURETOR WERE FOUND VOID OF FUEL. POST-ACCIDENT OPERATION OF THE ENGINE WAS SATISFACTORY WITH FUEL ADDED TO THE RIGHT TANK AND FUEL SELECTOR IN THE RIGHT TANK POSITION. THE ENGINE WAS ALSO OPERATED SATISFACTORY FROM THE LEFT TANK WITH THE FUEL SELECTOR ROTATED TO THE LEFT TANK POSITION.
ENGINE TEARDOWN SHOWED NO EVIDENCE OF ANY PREIMPACT MECHANICAL MALFUNCTIONS OR FAILURES THAT WOULD HAVE PRECLUDED NORMAL OPERATIONS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.