What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The pilot was re-positioning the aircraft from pacerville, CA to Rifle, CO. The first two stops of the flight were not eventful. The last stop was to refuel at richfield municipal airport with 27.71 gallons of aviation gasoline for a planned 2.5 hour flight to Rifle, CO. The pilot stated the tanks were completely full. The pilot departed richfield municipal airport toward Rifle garfield county airport. When the aircraft reached the utah/colorado border the pilot stated he experienced constant light turbulance and the occasional moderate turbulance. About 5 nautical miles from accident site, the pilot stated the engine began to sputter so he checked the carberator heat, mixture setting, and confirmed fuel selector vavle was on. The pilot stated that due to the turbulent air, the fuel guages were bouncing so much that he could not read the fuel level accurately. The aircraft had a total loss of power while flying over interstate 70 so the pilot maneuvered the aircraft to the north of interstate 70 to perform an off-airport landing on a north to south dirt road. During his final approach turn the pilot saw powerlines and pitched the aircraft up to avoid a collision with the powerlines. The aircraft slowed down and stalled about 200 feet above ground level and then impacted the ground with a nose down attitude and flipped over longitudinally. The pilot was able to egress the aircraft with the assistance of bystanders and first responders and instructed the bystanders to turn off the aircraft’s electrical systems.
As the FAA filed it
THE PILOT WAS RE-POSITIONING THE AIRCRAFT FROM PACERVILLE, CA TO RIFLE, CO. THE FIRST TWO STOPS OF THE FLIGHT WERE NOT EVENTFUL. THE LAST STOP WAS TO REFUEL AT RICHFIELD MUNICIPAL AIRPORT WITH 27.71 GALLONS OF AVIATION GASOLINE FOR A PLANNED 2.5 HOUR FLIGHT TO RIFLE, CO. THE PILOT STATED THE TANKS WERE COMPLETELY FULL. THE PILOT DEPARTED RICHFIELD MUNICIPAL AIRPORT TOWARD RIFLE GARFIELD COUNTY AIRPORT. WHEN THE AIRCRAFT REACHED THE UTAH/COLORADO BORDER THE PILOT STATED HE EXPERIENCED CONSTANT LIGHT TURBULANCE AND THE OCCASIONAL MODERATE TURBULANCE. ABOUT 5 NAUTICAL MILES FROM ACCIDENT SITE, THE PILOT STATED THE ENGINE BEGAN TO SPUTTER SO HE CHECKED THE CARBERATOR HEAT, MIXTURE SETTING, AND CONFIRMED FUEL SELECTOR VAVLE WAS ON. THE PILOT STATED THAT DUE TO THE TURBULENT AIR, THE FUEL GUAGES WERE BOUNCING SO MUCH THAT HE COULD NOT READ THE FUEL LEVEL ACCURATELY. THE AIRCRAFT HAD A TOTAL LOSS OF POWER WHILE FLYING OVER INTERSTATE 70 SO THE PILOT MANEUVERED THE AIRCRAFT TO THE NORTH OF INTERSTATE 70 TO PERFORM AN OFF-AIRPORT LANDING ON A NORTH TO SOUTH DIRT ROAD. DURING HIS FINAL APPROACH TURN THE PILOT SAW POWERLINES AND PITCHED THE AIRCRAFT UP TO AVOID A COLLISION WITH THE POWERLINES. THE AIRCRAFT SLOWED DOWN AND STALLED ABOUT 200 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL AND THEN IMPACTED THE GROUND WITH A NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE AND FLIPPED OVER LONGITUDINALLY. THE PILOT WAS ABLE TO EGRESS THE AIRCRAFT WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF BYSTANDERS AND FIRST RESPONDERS AND INSTRUCTED THE BYSTANDERS TO TURN OFF THE AIRCRAFT’S ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.