What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Pilot stated that he departed lockhart, TX at approximately 2000 with estimated 2 hours fuel in left main tank and that all other tanks were empty. He stated that his planned flight time was approximately 50 minutes to his destination of spx, 148NM. He stated that he climbed to 11500 feet MSL to gain favorable winds and did not contact ATC on his descent into spx. Pilot stated that he consulted a commerical weather briefing source via computer and that houston area weather at time of departure was clear with forecast of fog. Spx was obscured by fog upon arrival. Pilot elected to contact houston approach and filed local IFR stating he had 1 hour of fuel. Pilot attempted two ILS approaches to rwy 4; reported weather was 300 feet ceiling and 3/4 mile visibility. Engine lost power about 5NM from the airport on third approach. Pilot declared emergency at this time. Aircraft collided with two story house and was substantially damaged. Pilot sustained major structural damage. No other people were injured. (-4)the single-engine airplane struck residential homes after the pilot reported fuel exhaustion during an ILS approach. The pilot's weather briefing indicated VFR conditions for the cross-country flight; however, the possibility of fog was forecasted. The aircraft departed for the cross-country flight with approximately 2 hours of fuel aboard. Upon arrival at the destination airport, fog prevailed. The pilot requested and received an IFR clearance to another airport. The pilot reported 1 hour of fuel aboard. The pilot was given radar vectors and cleared for the ILS approach, missed the approach, and received radar vectors to try the approach again. The controller cancelled this approach clearance as the airplane was low and left of course. The pilot advised the controller that he was fuel critical and had 'about 25 minutes' of fuel. The controller vectored the aircraft to the final turn to intercept the localizer. Subsequently, the pilot transmitted 'out of fuel.' The controller advised the pilot that the aircraft was 8 miles from the airport. Radar contact was lost when the airplane was 6 miles from the airport at an altitude of 200 feet. The integrity of the fuel tanks was compromised; however, there was no fuel found in the tanks. And no physical evidence of fuel at the site.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) PILOT STATED THAT HE DEPARTED LOCKHART, TX AT APPROXIMATELY 2000 WITH ESTIMATED 2 HOURS FUEL IN LEFT MAIN TANK AND THAT ALL OTHER TANKS WERE EMPTY. HE STATED THAT HIS PLANNED FLIGHT TIME WAS APPROXIMATELY 50 MINUTES TO HIS DESTINATION OF SPX, 148NM. HE STATED THAT HE CLIMBED TO 11500 FEET MSL TO GAIN FAVORABLE WINDS AND DID NOT CONTACT ATC ON HIS DESCENT INTO SPX. PILOT STATED THAT HE CONSULTED A COMMERICAL WEATHER BRIEFING SOURCE VIA COMPUTER AND THAT HOUSTON AREA WEATHER AT TIME OF DEPARTURE WAS CLEAR WITH FORECAST OF FOG. SPX WAS OBSCURED BY FOG UPON ARRIVAL. PILOT ELECTED TO CONTACT HOUSTON APPROACH AND FILED LOCAL IFR STATING HE HAD 1 HOUR OF FUEL. PILOT ATTEMPTED TWO ILS APPROACHES TO RWY 4; REPORTED WEATHER WAS 300 FEET CEILING AND 3/4 MILE VISIBILITY. ENGINE LOST POWER ABOUT 5NM FROM THE AIRPORT ON THIRD APPROACH. PILOT DECLARED EMERGENCY AT THIS TIME. AIRCRAFT COLLIDED WITH TWO STORY HOUSE AND WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED. PILOT SUSTAINED MAJOR STRUCTURAL DAMAGE. NO OTHER PEOPLE WERE INJURED. (-4)THE SINGLE-ENGINE AIRPLANE STRUCK RESIDENTIAL HOMES AFTER THE PILOT REPORTED FUEL EXHAUSTION DURING AN ILS APPROACH. THE PILOT'S WEATHER BRIEFING INDICATED VFR CONDITIONS FOR THE CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT; HOWEVER, THE POSSIBILITY OF FOG WAS FORECASTED. THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED FOR THE CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT WITH APPROXIMATELY 2 HOURS OF FUEL ABOARD. UPON ARRIVAL AT THE DESTINATION AIRPORT, FOG PREVAILED. THE PILOT REQUESTED AND RECEIVED AN IFR CLEARANCE TO ANOTHER AIRPORT. THE PILOT REPORTED 1 HOUR OF FUEL ABOARD. THE PILOT WAS GIVEN RADAR VECTORS AND CLEARED FOR THE ILS APPROACH, MISSED THE APPROACH, AND RECEIVED RADAR VECTORS TO TRY THE APPROACH AGAIN. THE CONTROLLER CANCELLED THIS APPROACH CLEARANCE AS THE AIRPLANE WAS LOW AND LEFT OF COURSE. THE PILOT ADVISED THE CONTROLLER THAT HE WAS FUEL CRITICAL AND HAD 'ABOUT 25 MINUTES' OF FUEL. THE CONTROLLER VECTORED THE AIRCRAFT TO THE FINAL TURN TO INTERCEPT THE LOCALIZER. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE PILOT TRANSMITTED 'OUT OF FUEL.' THE CONTROLLER ADVISED THE PILOT THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS 8 MILES FROM THE AIRPORT. RADAR CONTACT WAS LOST WHEN THE AIRPLANE WAS 6 MILES FROM THE AIRPORT AT AN ALTITUDE OF 200 FEET. THE INTEGRITY OF THE FUEL TANKS WAS COMPROMISED; HOWEVER, THERE WAS NO FUEL FOUND IN THE TANKS. AND NO PHYSICAL EVIDENCE OF FUEL AT THE SITE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N6089E · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.