20100221027929A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Cotter Stits Playm · Williston, FL · February 21, 2010

Date: February 21, 2010 · 11:17 local
Place: Williston, FL
Phase of flight: Descent
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N816
NTSB investigation: NTSBERA10LA151
Reported as: Cotter Stits Playm
Reported engine: Lycoming O-290
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 2
Pilot’s certificate: Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 408 total8 in this make and model6 in the last 90 days

N816Registration cancelled Mar 19, 2014 · Cotter STITS PLAYMATES/N 10 · Built 1974 Airframe modelCotter STITS PLAYMATE Engine modelLycoming O-290 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

The pilot went for a local flight without knowing the exact amount of fuel on board. On descent the power was reduced and the engine quit. Attempts to restart the engine in flight failed and the aircraft landed short of the airport in a field. First responders failed to smell or see any fluid leaks paying particular attention to the fuel since the occupants had to be abstracted from the aircraft.

As the FAA filed it

THE PILOT WENT FOR A LOCAL FLIGHT WITHOUT KNOWING THE EXACT AMOUNT OF FUEL ON BOARD. ON DESCENT THE POWER WAS REDUCED AND THE ENGINE QUIT. ATTEMPTS TO RESTART THE ENGINE IN FLIGHT FAILED AND THE AIRCRAFT LANDED SHORT OF THE AIRPORT IN A FIELD. FIRST RESPONDERS FAILED TO SMELL OR SEE ANY FLUID LEAKS PAYING PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO THE FUEL SINCE THE OCCUPANTS HAD TO BE ABSTRACTED FROM THE AIRCRAFT.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB ERA10LA151Accident · Serious injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportWilliston, FLA loss of engine power during approach due to fuel exhaustion as a result of the pilot's fuel mismanagement.Feb 21, 2010 · Substantial damage