What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
After a cross country flight, the PIC was instructed by ATC to descend from 6000 feet to 4000 feet. The PIC reduced power and descended. When the target altitude of 4000 feet was reached the PIC reengaged the autopilot and attempted to add power to maintain airspeed while leveling off. The PIC stated the engine did not respond and it felt like the throttle was pulled back to idle. He then advanced the mixture to full rich, prop full forward for high RPM and advanced the throttle with no response from the engine. He then declared an emergency and landed gear up in a hay field. The aircraft slid off the edge of the field striking a rock pile cutting through the fuselage aft of the rear seats severing rudder and elevator control cables. After photographing the scene, the top engine cowling was removed, and the engine was inspected for general condition. Near the front of the engine at the fuel metering valve there was blue staining near a t-fitting with shiny threads showing where a cap had previously been installed. The t-fitting was identified as a service port used to connect a fuel pressure gauge to measure unmetered fuel pressure during maintenance. Aircraft maintenance records show 45 days prior to accident (14 hours hobbs time) the aircraft had an annual inspection performed which included fuel system maintenance.
As the FAA filed it
AFTER A CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT, THE PIC WAS INSTRUCTED BY ATC TO DESCEND FROM 6000 FEET TO 4000 FEET. THE PIC REDUCED POWER AND DESCENDED. WHEN THE TARGET ALTITUDE OF 4000 FEET WAS REACHED THE PIC REENGAGED THE AUTOPILOT AND ATTEMPTED TO ADD POWER TO MAINTAIN AIRSPEED WHILE LEVELING OFF. THE PIC STATED THE ENGINE DID NOT RESPOND AND IT FELT LIKE THE THROTTLE WAS PULLED BACK TO IDLE. HE THEN ADVANCED THE MIXTURE TO FULL RICH, PROP FULL FORWARD FOR HIGH RPM AND ADVANCED THE THROTTLE WITH NO RESPONSE FROM THE ENGINE. HE THEN DECLARED AN EMERGENCY AND LANDED GEAR UP IN A HAY FIELD. THE AIRCRAFT SLID OFF THE EDGE OF THE FIELD STRIKING A ROCK PILE CUTTING THROUGH THE FUSELAGE AFT OF THE REAR SEATS SEVERING RUDDER AND ELEVATOR CONTROL CABLES. AFTER PHOTOGRAPHING THE SCENE, THE TOP ENGINE COWLING WAS REMOVED, AND THE ENGINE WAS INSPECTED FOR GENERAL CONDITION. NEAR THE FRONT OF THE ENGINE AT THE FUEL METERING VALVE THERE WAS BLUE STAINING NEAR A T-FITTING WITH SHINY THREADS SHOWING WHERE A CAP HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN INSTALLED. THE T-FITTING WAS IDENTIFIED AS A SERVICE PORT USED TO CONNECT A FUEL PRESSURE GAUGE TO MEASURE UNMETERED FUEL PRESSURE DURING MAINTENANCE. AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE RECORDS SHOW 45 DAYS PRIOR TO ACCIDENT (14 HOURS HOBBS TIME) THE AIRCRAFT HAD AN ANNUAL INSPECTION PERFORMED WHICH INCLUDED FUEL SYSTEM MAINTENANCE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.