What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
While conducting aerial gunnery operations the aircraft involved in the accident suffered engine power loss resulting in a crash which injured all 6 people on board. After recovery of the aircraft an inspection was performed on the aircraft’s engine and aircraft's fuel system. No issues were found during the engine inspection conducted by the engine manufacture representative. During the fuel cell inspection, it was found that the fuel boost pump (pn 369A8143-3) had been removed from this aircraft and the wiring associated with this pump had been cut and zip tied in place. The fuel supply line (PN369A8113-BSC) that runs from the boost pump to the engine supply line was also missing. This aircraft’s fuel supply was incorrectly configured to draw fuel from the forward left hand fuel cell instead of the aft left hand fuel cell as per the manufacture’s original design. During the recovery of the aircraft approximately 19.5 gallons of fuel was recovered from the aft left hand fuel cell but due to the misconfiguration of the fuel system the engine could not use this fuel. Therefore, the improper configuration of the aircraft’s fuel supply system and removal of critical components led to fuel starvation of the engine and loss of power.
As the FAA filed it
WHILE CONDUCTING AERIAL GUNNERY OPERATIONS THE AIRCRAFT INVOLVED IN THE ACCIDENT SUFFERED ENGINE POWER LOSS RESULTING IN A CRASH WHICH INJURED ALL 6 PEOPLE ON BOARD. AFTER RECOVERY OF THE AIRCRAFT AN INSPECTION WAS PERFORMED ON THE AIRCRAFT’S ENGINE AND AIRCRAFT'S FUEL SYSTEM. NO ISSUES WERE FOUND DURING THE ENGINE INSPECTION CONDUCTED BY THE ENGINE MANUFACTURE REPRESENTATIVE. DURING THE FUEL CELL INSPECTION, IT WAS FOUND THAT THE FUEL BOOST PUMP (PN 369A8143-3) HAD BEEN REMOVED FROM THIS AIRCRAFT AND THE WIRING ASSOCIATED WITH THIS PUMP HAD BEEN CUT AND ZIP TIED IN PLACE. THE FUEL SUPPLY LINE (PN369A8113-BSC) THAT RUNS FROM THE BOOST PUMP TO THE ENGINE SUPPLY LINE WAS ALSO MISSING. THIS AIRCRAFT’S FUEL SUPPLY WAS INCORRECTLY CONFIGURED TO DRAW FUEL FROM THE FORWARD LEFT HAND FUEL CELL INSTEAD OF THE AFT LEFT HAND FUEL CELL AS PER THE MANUFACTURE’S ORIGINAL DESIGN. DURING THE RECOVERY OF THE AIRCRAFT APPROXIMATELY 19.5 GALLONS OF FUEL WAS RECOVERED FROM THE AFT LEFT HAND FUEL CELL BUT DUE TO THE MISCONFIGURATION OF THE FUEL SYSTEM THE ENGINE COULD NOT USE THIS FUEL. THEREFORE, THE IMPROPER CONFIGURATION OF THE AIRCRAFT’S FUEL SUPPLY SYSTEM AND REMOVAL OF CRITICAL COMPONENTS LED TO FUEL STARVATION OF THE ENGINE AND LOSS OF POWER.