# Accident 19980429008209A: Amtr VARIEZE, Waterbury, CT, April 29, 1998

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: April 29, 1998, 09:52 local time
- Place: Waterbury, CT
- Airport: Waterbury Airport
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Practice Training Manuevers
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 41.6324° N, 73.0482° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at Waterbury Airport (N41), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=41.6324&lon=-73.0482&mi=10
- Aircraft: N728RJ, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N728RJ-1998-10-31) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Mcclead Charles A VARIEZE (registry code 05690G7, https://openairdocs.org/model/mcclead-charles-a-varieze) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: AMTR VARIEZE
- Reported engine: LYC O235L2C
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 1,122 total, 30 in this make and model, 10 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB IAD98LA050](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/IAD98LA050) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980429008209A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

LOST POWER AT 8000 FT OVER 22B. UNABLE TO LOCATE IT. TRIED FOR N41. UNABLE LANDED IN TREES. FUEL TANKS EMPTY. (.4) THE PILOT ALTERED HIS PREFLIGHT INSPECTION, ON THE DAY OF THE ACCIDENT, BY PUTTING AN ADDITIVE INTO THE FUEL. HE STATED THAT AFTER DOING SO, HE 'MAY NOT HAVE TIGHTENED THE RIGHT GAS CAP.'  THE PILOT VISUALLY CHECKED THE FUEL TANKS, AND REPORTED 16 GALLONS OF FUEL ONBOARD.  HE DEPARTED FOR A LOCAL FLIGHT AND APPROXIMATELY 35 MINUTES LATER, WHILE DOING AIR WORK, THE ENGINE 'SUDDENLY QUIT'.  HE ATTEMPTED TO GLIDE BACK TO THE AIRPORT, AND WHEN HE REALIZED HE WOULD NOT MAKE THE RUNWAY, HE PERFORMED A FORCED LANDING INTO A WOODED AREA.  EXAMINATION REVEALED THE FUEL TANKS HAD MAINTAINED THEIR INTEGRITY, WITH NO INDICATION OF LEAKAGE. THE RIGHT FUEL CAP WAS FOUND OFF, HANGING BY ITS CHAIN WITH NO FUEL IN THE TANK AND NO INDICATION OF SOIL CONTAMINATION BENEATH THE TANK.  A 'TRACE' OF FUEL WAS FOUND IN THE LEFT TANK AND THE CENTER TANK WAS EMPTY.  THE INSPECTOR STATED THAT NO FUEL WAS SHOWN ON EITHER FUEL GAUGE AND NO FUEL WAS FOUND IN THE FUEL LINES OR CARBURETOR, WITH ABOUT A HALF OUNCE OF FUEL IN THE FUEL FILTER.  THERE WAS NO FUEL SMELL ON THE GROUND SURROUNDING THE AIRPL ANE. (-23) AIRCRAFT TOOK OFF FROM WATERBURY-OXFORD AIRPORT AT 9:10 AM ON 04/28/98, AND CRASHED AT 10:00 AM NEAR AIRPORT.  PILOT REPORTS ENGINE FAILED.  NO FUEL FOUND IN AIRCRAFT.  PILOT DID NOT HAVE A FLIGHT PLAN OR AN ELT ON BOARD.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB IAD98LA050](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/IAD98LA050), Apr 29, 1998: McClead Varieze (N728RJ), Middlebury, CT, destroyed. Probable cause: the pilot's inadequate preflight when he did not secure the right wing fuel tank cap which led to fuel exhaustion.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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