What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Aircraft dispatched from mbt, PIC checked fuel levels by sticking his finger in the tank fill ports. There was neither fuel burn planning conducted nor an enroute weather check conducted. Aircraft flew to mkl at 4500 ft MSL, indicated airspeed of 92 knots, ground speed of 88 knots without incident. At mkl, performed a landing with full stop and taxi back, departed for return flight to mbt at 7500 ft MSL, indicated airspeed 93 knots, ground speed 133-137 knots. 15 minutes into return flight, the engine "began to sound like it was working harder" and the controls began to shake. PIC turned on carb heat, thinking the aircraft might have carb ice forming. At 27 minutes into the flight, the engine shut down, the oil pressure dropped, and the fuel gauges were bouncing towards the empty mark. PIC activated the boost pump and switched to the right fuel tank, then restarted the engine. Engine ran for 30 seconds then shut down again. Engine would not restart. Note the fuel selector lever was set to the left tank upon FAA iic arrival at accident scene, PIC states he switched tanks approximately every 20 minutes when prompted by aircraft systems, but could not recall how many times the tanks were switched, only that it was done. PIC set transponder to 7700 and contacted ATC. Unable to reach any airfields, the PIC turned to land in a field, requiring a 180 degree turn. Immediately prior to entering the trees, PIC pulled the flaps up, pulled the yoke back and covered his head with his arms. Note this aircraft has lap belts only. There was no post crash fire, and only a minimal, brief scent of fuel reported by first responders. There was no fuel scent or evidence of fuel leakage found by FAA iic and assisting inspectors. There was no evidence of fuel being siphoned in-flight from improperly secured fill caps. Post crash, the boost pump operated on battery power, the fuel collator was dry and separated from its base, and less than 1 oz. Of fuel was drained from the carburetor. Aircraft recovered and transported to facility for possible teardown and engine tests.
As the FAA filed it
AIRCRAFT DISPATCHED FROM MBT, PIC CHECKED FUEL LEVELS BY STICKING HIS FINGER IN THE TANK FILL PORTS. THERE WAS NEITHER FUEL BURN PLANNING CONDUCTED NOR AN ENROUTE WEATHER CHECK CONDUCTED. AIRCRAFT FLEW TO MKL AT 4500 FT MSL, INDICATED AIRSPEED OF 92 KNOTS, GROUND SPEED OF 88 KNOTS WITHOUT INCIDENT. AT MKL, PERFORMED A LANDING WITH FULL STOP AND TAXI BACK, DEPARTED FOR RETURN FLIGHT TO MBT AT 7500 FT MSL, INDICATED AIRSPEED 93 KNOTS, GROUND SPEED 133-137 KNOTS. 15 MINUTES INTO RETURN FLIGHT, THE ENGINE "BEGAN TO SOUND LIKE IT WAS WORKING HARDER" AND THE CONTROLS BEGAN TO SHAKE. PIC TURNED ON CARB HEAT, THINKING THE AIRCRAFT MIGHT HAVE CARB ICE FORMING. AT 27 MINUTES INTO THE FLIGHT, THE ENGINE SHUT DOWN, THE OIL PRESSURE DROPPED, AND THE FUEL GAUGES WERE BOUNCING TOWARDS THE EMPTY MARK. PIC ACTIVATED THE BOOST PUMP AND SWITCHED TO THE RIGHT FUEL TANK, THEN RESTARTED THE ENGINE. ENGINE RAN FOR 30 SECONDS THEN SHUT DOWN AGAIN. ENGINE WOULD NOT RESTART. NOTE THE FUEL SELECTOR LEVER WAS SET TO THE LEFT TANK UPON FAA IIC ARRIVAL AT ACCIDENT SCENE, PIC STATES HE SWITCHED TANKS APPROXIMATELY EVERY 20 MINUTES WHEN PROMPTED BY AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS, BUT COULD NOT RECALL HOW MANY TIMES THE TANKS WERE SWITCHED, ONLY THAT IT WAS DONE. PIC SET TRANSPONDER TO 7700 AND CONTACTED ATC. UNABLE TO REACH ANY AIRFIELDS, THE PIC TURNED TO LAND IN A FIELD, REQUIRING A 180 DEGREE TURN. IMMEDIATELY PRIOR TO ENTERING THE TREES, PIC PULLED THE FLAPS UP, PULLED THE YOKE BACK AND COVERED HIS HEAD WITH HIS ARMS. NOTE THIS AIRCRAFT HAS LAP BELTS ONLY. THERE WAS NO POST CRASH FIRE, AND ONLY A MINIMAL, BRIEF SCENT OF FUEL REPORTED BY FIRST RESPONDERS. THERE WAS NO FUEL SCENT OR EVIDENCE OF FUEL LEAKAGE FOUND BY FAA IIC AND ASSISTING INSPECTORS. THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF FUEL BEING SIPHONED IN-FLIGHT FROM IMPROPERLY SECURED FILL CAPS. POST CRASH, THE BOOST PUMP OPERATED ON BATTERY POWER, THE FUEL COLLATOR WAS DRY AND SEPARATED FROM ITS BASE, AND LESS THAN 1 OZ. OF FUEL WAS DRAINED FROM THE CARBURETOR. AIRCRAFT RECOVERED AND TRANSPORTED TO FACILITY FOR POSSIBLE TEARDOWN AND ENGINE TESTS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.