What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Narrative: the pilot-in-command reported he was on the return leg of a cross-country flight from sedona, Arizona to Mesa, Arizona when the engine of his Varga, N8348J failed. He advised that several attempts were made to re-start the engine to no avail, and that time suspected he was out of fuel. A forced landing was made to an abandoned racing strip and in doing so damaged the nose and main landing gear along with the left wing. The pilot stated he could not understand why he ran out of gas because he had planned this flight thoroughly and had take off after receiving fuel which according to the flight time and amount of fuel he purchased should have been enough a review of his receipts, flight plan and the tach time by inspectors revealed the same conclusion. The aircraft exhibited no sign of fuel leakage nor any visible signs of fuel pump or other problems. In the interview with this pilot it was learned that the Varga does have a history of venting out fuel to an excess due to a possible design problem within the system. This inspector along with an airworthiness inspector interviewed several other Varga owners and learned this was a known problem with the aircraft. This incident will be closed out privacy data omitted further investigation of the venting problem is being continued to determine if a safety recommendation would be in order.
As the FAA filed it
NARRATIVE: THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND REPORTED HE WAS ON THE RETURN LEG OF A CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT FROM SEDONA, ARIZONA TO MESA, ARIZONA WHEN THE ENGINE OF HIS VARGA, N8348J FAILED. HE ADVISED THAT SEVERAL ATTEMPTS WERE MADE TO RE-START THE ENGINE TO NO AVAIL, AND THAT TIME SUSPECTED HE WAS OUT OF FUEL. A FORCED LANDING WAS MADE TO AN ABANDONED RACING STRIP AND IN DOING SO DAMAGED THE NOSE AND MAIN LANDING GEAR ALONG WITH THE LEFT WING. THE PILOT STATED HE COULD NOT UNDERSTAND WHY HE RAN OUT OF GAS BECAUSE HE HAD PLANNED THIS FLIGHT THOROUGHLY AND HAD TAKE OFF AFTER RECEIVING FUEL WHICH ACCORDING TO THE FLIGHT TIME AND AMOUNT OF FUEL HE PURCHASED SHOULD HAVE BEEN ENOUGH A REVIEW OF HIS RECEIPTS, FLIGHT PLAN AND THE TACH TIME BY INSPECTORS REVEALED THE SAME CONCLUSION. THE AIRCRAFT EXHIBITED NO SIGN OF FUEL LEAKAGE NOR ANY VISIBLE SIGNS OF FUEL PUMP OR OTHER PROBLEMS. IN THE INTERVIEW WITH THIS PILOT IT WAS LEARNED THAT THE VARGA DOES HAVE A HISTORY OF VENTING OUT FUEL TO AN EXCESS DUE TO A POSSIBLE DESIGN PROBLEM WITHIN THE SYSTEM. THIS INSPECTOR ALONG WITH AN AIRWORTHINESS INSPECTOR INTERVIEWED SEVERAL OTHER VARGA OWNERS AND LEARNED THIS WAS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THE AIRCRAFT. THIS INCIDENT WILL BE CLOSED OUT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ FURTHER INVESTIGATION OF THE VENTING PROBLEM IS BEING CONTINUED TO DETERMINE IF A SAFETY RECOMMENDATION WOULD BE IN ORDER.
Other reports on N8348J · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.