What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
I got to the hanger about 1:30. I went in the hangar and started pre-flighting the plane to include
Radiator, coolant level, rotary valve oil tank level general condition of everything on the engine, to
Include rubber carburetor sockets, routing and security of electrical wiring and fuel hoses. Checked airframe for general condition, flight control surfaces, freedom of movement and security. I went and got 10 gallons of gas. I dumped one 5 gallon can in the plane which brought us above 12 gallons, I gave the other 5 gallons to a friend who was going to meet us at windmill cove in the delta. Me and my passenger discussed our weight both of us at 190 lbs. Determined we were in limits on weight and balance. Takeoff, approximately 3:00PM was normal, departing runway 26 at Lodi airport 103. Engine temperatures were normal water temp 160AND 1100 on egt's continued climbing and made a left turn to the southwest climbing to 600 to 700 ft AGL after 5 to 10 minutes, I let my passenger take the controls, where he maintained level flight. A minute into him flying the engine started reducing
RPM smoothly for about one second. Then I applied full throttle and got no response other than it started shaking and vibrating, and providing almost no power, I made an immediate right turn (engine quit completely at that point) to go back to a pond that I had spotted earlier as a possible emergency landing site. Don't remember anything after making that 180° turn until I found myself over top of the pond, not in a good position to make it to the pond and decided to go for the small vineyard road that headed towards the north, squeezing in between powerlines and trees then my memory goes blank again until I'm standing outside the wreckage seeing my passenger with terrible injuries and trying to get his seatbelt off. I saw and smelled the gas that was leaking from tank. Then my phone was going crazy calling 911
For me @3:11PM. Not sure when the 911 call was going on that might've been happening same
Time as me getting the seatbelt off. Somebody showed up in a razor 4 x 4, everything is very sketchy on my memory, I remember refusing transport to the hospital for my head injury.
As the FAA filed it
I GOT TO THE HANGER ABOUT 1:30. I WENT IN THE HANGAR AND STARTED PRE-FLIGHTING THE PLANE TO INCLUDE
RADIATOR, COOLANT LEVEL, ROTARY VALVE OIL TANK LEVEL GENERAL CONDITION OF EVERYTHING ON THE ENGINE, TO
INCLUDE RUBBER CARBURETOR SOCKETS, ROUTING AND SECURITY OF ELECTRICAL WIRING AND FUEL HOSES. CHECKED AIRFRAME FOR GENERAL CONDITION, FLIGHT CONTROL SURFACES, FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT AND SECURITY. I WENT AND GOT 10 GALLONS OF GAS. I DUMPED ONE 5 GALLON CAN IN THE PLANE WHICH BROUGHT US ABOVE 12 GALLONS, I GAVE THE OTHER 5 GALLONS TO A FRIEND WHO WAS GOING TO MEET US AT WINDMILL COVE IN THE DELTA. ME AND MY PASSENGER DISCUSSED OUR WEIGHT BOTH OF US AT 190 LBS. DETERMINED WE WERE IN LIMITS ON WEIGHT AND BALANCE. TAKEOFF, APPROXIMATELY 3:00PM WAS NORMAL, DEPARTING RUNWAY 26 AT LODI AIRPORT 103. ENGINE TEMPERATURES WERE NORMAL WATER TEMP 160AND 1100 ON EGT'S CONTINUED CLIMBING AND MADE A LEFT TURN TO THE SOUTHWEST CLIMBING TO 600 TO 700 FT AGL AFTER 5 TO 10 MINUTES, I LET MY PASSENGER TAKE THE CONTROLS, WHERE HE MAINTAINED LEVEL FLIGHT. A MINUTE INTO HIM FLYING THE ENGINE STARTED REDUCING
RPM SMOOTHLY FOR ABOUT ONE SECOND. THEN I APPLIED FULL THROTTLE AND GOT NO RESPONSE OTHER THAN IT STARTED SHAKING AND VIBRATING, AND PROVIDING ALMOST NO POWER, I MADE AN IMMEDIATE RIGHT TURN (ENGINE QUIT COMPLETELY AT THAT POINT) TO GO BACK TO A POND THAT I HAD SPOTTED EARLIER AS A POSSIBLE EMERGENCY LANDING SITE. DON'T REMEMBER ANYTHING AFTER MAKING THAT 180° TURN UNTIL I FOUND MYSELF OVER TOP OF THE POND, NOT IN A GOOD POSITION TO MAKE IT TO THE POND AND DECIDED TO GO FOR THE SMALL VINEYARD ROAD THAT HEADED TOWARDS THE NORTH, SQUEEZING IN BETWEEN POWERLINES AND TREES THEN MY MEMORY GOES BLANK AGAIN UNTIL I'M STANDING OUTSIDE THE WRECKAGE SEEING MY PASSENGER WITH TERRIBLE INJURIES AND TRYING TO GET HIS SEATBELT OFF. I SAW AND SMELLED THE GAS THAT WAS LEAKING FROM TANK. THEN MY PHONE WAS GOING CRAZY CALLING 911
FOR ME @3:11PM. NOT SURE WHEN THE 911 CALL WAS GOING ON THAT MIGHT'VE BEEN HAPPENING SAME
TIME AS ME GETTING THE SEATBELT OFF. SOMEBODY SHOWED UP IN A RAZOR 4 X 4, EVERYTHING IS VERY SKETCHY ON MY MEMORY, I REMEMBER REFUSING TRANSPORT TO THE HOSPITAL FOR MY HEAD INJURY.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.