What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The pilot determined that the flight would require 1 hour and 4 minutes of fuel. The aircraft had 1 hour and 30 minutes of fuel on board. 50 minutes into the flight the engine began running rough. The pilot observed the fuel pressure was dropping and elected to land at an alternate airport. As he changed direction toward the alternate airport, the fuel pressure continued to drop. The pilot elected to land in a farm field as he was losing altitude. He did not see the utility wires by the solar farm until he was within 50 feet or less of them due to his visual perspective and continuing to maintain control of the aircraft. The left wing caught the utility wires and the aircraft crashed into the terrain. There were broken utility wires, ground scarring, and substantial damage to the aircraft. No evidence of aircraft fuel was present at the crash site. There was no post crash fire. The pilot sustained minor injuries and the passenger sustained serious injuries as defined in 49 CFR 830.2.
As the FAA filed it
THE PILOT DETERMINED THAT THE FLIGHT WOULD REQUIRE 1 HOUR AND 4 MINUTES OF FUEL. THE AIRCRAFT HAD 1 HOUR AND 30 MINUTES OF FUEL ON BOARD. 50 MINUTES INTO THE FLIGHT THE ENGINE BEGAN RUNNING ROUGH. THE PILOT OBSERVED THE FUEL PRESSURE WAS DROPPING AND ELECTED TO LAND AT AN ALTERNATE AIRPORT. AS HE CHANGED DIRECTION TOWARD THE ALTERNATE AIRPORT, THE FUEL PRESSURE CONTINUED TO DROP. THE PILOT ELECTED TO LAND IN A FARM FIELD AS HE WAS LOSING ALTITUDE. HE DID NOT SEE THE UTILITY WIRES BY THE SOLAR FARM UNTIL HE WAS WITHIN 50 FEET OR LESS OF THEM DUE TO HIS VISUAL PERSPECTIVE AND CONTINUING TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE LEFT WING CAUGHT THE UTILITY WIRES AND THE AIRCRAFT CRASHED INTO THE TERRAIN. THERE WERE BROKEN UTILITY WIRES, GROUND SCARRING, AND SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT. NO EVIDENCE OF AIRCRAFT FUEL WAS PRESENT AT THE CRASH SITE. THERE WAS NO POST CRASH FIRE. THE PILOT SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES AND THE PASSENGER SUSTAINED SERIOUS INJURIES AS DEFINED IN 49 CFR 830.2.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.