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20130901017339A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Flight Design CTSW · Sisters, OR · September 1, 2013

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
September 1, 2013 · 18:00 local
Place
Sisters, OR
Airport
Sisters Eagle Air
Phase of flight
Landing: Approach
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N102HA
NTSB investigation
NTSBWPR13LA396
Reported as
Flight Design Ctsw
Reported engine
ROTAX 912ULS
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Sport pilot
N102HARegistration cancelled Apr 6, 2017 · Flight Design CTSWS/N 07-06-21 · Built 2007Airframe modelFlight Design CTSWEngine modelRotax 912ULS series4 cycle

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.

Pilot reported to sheriff on scene on 09/01/2013 that he was enroute from coeur d' alene, id to sacremento, CA, but encountered weather and winds that delayed his Flight and that he landed at a private airstrip 6-7 miles east of Sisters airport to check his fuel level. Pilot reported to sheriff that he had calculated his remaining fuel would allow approximately 30 minutes of Flight time left after take off. Pilot reported he was flying at 15 feet (AGL) and the engine began to sputter and then quit approaching the Sisters airport. Pilot told sheriff he was flying at about 40 knots when the airplane "just dropped out of the sky," and that "he did not have any mechanical problems with the plane, it just ran out of fuel."

The airplane crash landed in soft dirt about 200 yards south of runway midfield. No tire tracks observed behind airplane from crash site photos. Substantial damage to aircraft incurred, firewall and fuselage structures near right main landing gear seriously damaged during landing impact. Both wings appeared intact and undamaged.

As the FAA filed it

PILOT REPORTED TO SHERIFF ON SCENE ON 09/01/2013 THAT HE WAS ENROUTE FROM COEUR D' ALENE, ID TO SACREMENTO, CA, BUT ENCOUNTERED WEATHER AND WINDS THAT DELAYED HIS FLIGHT AND THAT HE LANDED AT A PRIVATE AIRSTRIP 6-7 MILES EAST OF SISTERS AIRPORT TO CHECK HIS FUEL LEVEL. PILOT REPORTED TO SHERIFF THAT HE HAD CALCULATED HIS REMAINING FUEL WOULD ALLOW APPROXIMATELY 30 MINUTES OF FLIGHT TIME LEFT AFTER TAKE OFF. PILOT REPORTED HE WAS FLYING AT 15 FEET (AGL) AND THE ENGINE BEGAN TO SPUTTER AND THEN QUIT APPROACHING THE SISTERS AIRPORT. PILOT TOLD SHERIFF HE WAS FLYING AT ABOUT 40 KNOTS WHEN THE AIRPLANE "JUST DROPPED OUT OF THE SKY," AND THAT "HE DID NOT HAVE ANY MECHANICAL PROBLEMS WITH THE PLANE, IT JUST RAN OUT OF FUEL."

THE AIRPLANE CRASH LANDED IN SOFT DIRT ABOUT 200 YARDS SOUTH OF RUNWAY MIDFIELD. NO TIRE TRACKS OBSERVED BEHIND AIRPLANE FROM CRASH SITE PHOTOS. SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO AIRCRAFT INCURRED, FIREWALL AND FUSELAGE STRUCTURES NEAR RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR SERIOUSLY DAMAGED DURING LANDING IMPACT. BOTH WINGS APPEARED INTACT AND UNDAMAGED.

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 WPR13LA396Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportSisters, ORThe pilot's inadequate preflight fuel planning and poor decision-making, which resulted in fuel exhaustion and the subsequent loss of engine power. Contributing to the accident was the lack of documentation describing the limitations of the airplane’s fuel…Sep 2, 2013 · Substantial damage