What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Aircraft departed Sarasota airport with insufficient fuel to reach its destination airport. Immediately after initial climb and level out at 1600 feet the engine lost power and began to run rough. The pilot attempted to return to Sarasota airport but had insufficient altitude to make the runway. Aircraft landed one half mile from the airport in the gulf of Mexico. Inspector statement: I contacted the pilot and requested that he provide me with a pilot statement of the events of the day. The pilot privacy data omitted faxed me this statement and it is included. I went to Sarasota airport to inspect the aircraft on 7/5/06. Upon seeing the aircraft, (N1052D) in the hangar, I found it on its belly with the gear still retracted. The engine is carbureted and I was unable to reach the gasolator to inspect for fuel. When I pulled the engine fuel sump there was not any fuel discharge present. The aircraft has received additional damage from the recovery process out of the salt water where it landed. It would be difficult to determine if the landing gear would extend manually if it were raised up on jacks due to cowling damage incurred during the recovery process. Tower tapes from the flight on 6/24/06 have the pilot requesting return to the airport. He requested to land due to fuel starvation on his transmission to the tower. He stated in his statement on 6/24/06 to the airport alert personnel that he had 7 gallons on board at departure from Sarasota. Upon my conversation with him he states he estimated he had 10 gallons and based this from his jpi fuel scan 450 fuel flow indicator mounted in the aircraft's panel. Upon further review he had not attempted to measure his actual fuel during his preflight but rather opened the fuel caps to see some fuel sloshing in the tanks. I conducted a check with all fuel providers on the field to confirm that N1052D did not purchase any fuel on the day of the incident or the day prior. Based on the statement on the air traffic tapes, the pilot's statement, and interviews I conducted I determined that the pilot used an inaccurate technique to measure his fuel supply and departed with insufficient fuel to reach his destination. It is questionable that the aircraft had the fuel requirement for VFR fuel reserves at the time of departure. privacy data omitted privacy data omitted
As the FAA filed it
(-23) AIRCRAFT DEPARTED SARASOTA AIRPORT WITH INSUFFICIENT FUEL TO REACH ITS DESTINATION AIRPORT. IMMEDIATELY AFTER INITIAL CLIMB AND LEVEL OUT AT 1600 FEET THE ENGINE LOST POWER AND BEGAN TO RUN ROUGH. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO RETURN TO SARASOTA AIRPORT BUT HAD INSUFFICIENT ALTITUDE TO MAKE THE RUNWAY. AIRCRAFT LANDED ONE HALF MILE FROM THE AIRPORT IN THE GULF OF MEXICO. INSPECTOR STATEMENT: I CONTACTED THE PILOT AND REQUESTED THAT HE PROVIDE ME WITH A PILOT STATEMENT OF THE EVENTS OF THE DAY. THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA O^ FAXED ME THIS STATEMENT AND IT IS INCLUDED. I WENT TO SARASOTA AIRPORT TO INSPECT THE AIRCRAFT ON 7/5/06. UPON SEEING THE AIRCRAFT, (N1052D) IN THE HANGAR, I FOUND IT ON ITS BELLY WITH THE GEAR STILL RETRACTED. THE ENGINE IS CARBURETED AND I WAS UNABLE TO REACH THE GASOLATOR TO INSPECT FOR FUEL. WHEN I PULLED THE ENGINE FUEL SUMP THERE WAS NOT ANY FUEL DISCHARGE PRESENT. THE AIRCRAFT HAS RECEIVED ADDITIONAL DAMAGE FROM THE RECOVERY PROCESS OUT OF THE SALT WATER WHERE IT LANDED. IT WOULD BE DIFFICULT TO DETERMINE IF THE LANDING GEAR WOULD EXTEND MANUALLY IF IT WERE RAISED UP ON JACKS DUE TO COWLING DAMAGE INCURRED DURING THE RECOVERY PROCESS. TOWER TAPES FROM THE FLIGHT ON 6/24/06 HAVE THE PILOT REQUESTING RETURN TO THE AIRPORT. HE REQUESTED TO LAND DUE TO FUEL STARVATION ON HIS TRANSMISSION TO THE TOWER. HE STATED IN HIS STATEMENT ON 6/24/06 TO THE AIRPORT ALERT PERSONNEL THAT HE HAD 7 GALLONS ON BOARD AT DEPARTURE FROM SARASOTA. UPON MY CONVERSATION WITH HIM HE STATES HE ESTIMATED HE HAD 10 GALLONS AND BASED THIS FROM HIS JPI FUEL SCAN 450 FUEL FLOW INDICATOR MOUNTED IN THE AIRCRAFT'S PANEL. UPON FURTHER REVIEW HE HAD NOT ATTEMPTED TO MEASURE HIS ACTUAL FUEL DURING HIS PREFLIGHT BUT RATHER OPENED THE FUEL CAPS TO SEE SOME FUEL SLOSHING IN THE TANKS. I CONDUCTED A CHECK WITH ALL FUEL PROVIDERS ON THE FIELD TO CONFIRM THAT N1052D DID NOT PURCHASE ANY FUEL ON THE DAY OF THE INCIDENT OR THE DAY PRIOR. BASED ON THE STATEMENT ON THE AIR TRAFFIC TAPES, THE PILOT'S STATEMENT, AND INTERVIEWS I CONDUCTED I DETERMINED THAT THE PILOT USED AN INACCURATE TECHNIQUE TO MEASURE HIS FUEL SUPPLY AND DEPARTED WITH INSUFFICIENT FUEL TO REACH HIS DESTINATION. IT IS QUESTIONABLE THAT THE AIRCRAFT HAD THE FUEL REQUIREMENT FOR VFR FUEL RESERVES AT THE TIME OF DEPARTURE. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^
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 N1052D · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.