What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Pilot stated that engine exhibited signs of fuel starvation while in a right turn. The engine ran sporadically with assistance of the primer. The pilot stated that he 'wagged' the wings from side to side trying to move fuel between the tanks. When he achieved a level flight attitude on short final, his engine began running causing him to overshoot the runway causing the accident. It was determined that while the amount of unusable fuel from the manufacturer is two gallons per side, the fuel system had been modified resulting in larger tankage. There was not an update in the pilots operating handbook indicating that the usable/unusable fuel may have changed and this left the pilotprivacy data omitted without a reasonable expectation of knowing the manufacturer's fuel quantity requirements could be different.
However, with all of that being clearly stated, it is the opinion this inspector that regardless of the level of unusable fuel, the pilot entered a right hand turn knowing that the left tank was dry (he stated that he burns off one tank and then another) and in doing so, unported the fuel to the engine causing the shut down of the engine.
This inspector recommends retraining on fuel management procedures and how unlevel flight may result in fuel starvation.
As the FAA filed it
PILOT STATED THAT ENGINE EXHIBITED SIGNS OF FUEL STARVATION WHILE IN A RIGHT TURN. THE ENGINE RAN SPORADICALLY WITH ASSISTANCE OF THE PRIMER. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE 'WAGGED' THE WINGS FROM SIDE TO SIDE TRYING TO MOVE FUEL BETWEEN THE TANKS. WHEN HE ACHIEVED A LEVEL FLIGHT ATTITUDE ON SHORT FINAL, HIS ENGINE BEGAN RUNNING CAUSING HIM TO OVERSHOOT THE RUNWAY CAUSING THE ACCIDENT. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT WHILE THE AMOUNT OF UNUSABLE FUEL FROM THE MANUFACTURER IS TWO GALLONS PER SIDE, THE FUEL SYSTEM HAD BEEN MODIFIED RESULTING IN LARGER TANKAGE. THERE WAS NOT AN UPDATE IN THE PILOTS OPERATING HANDBOOK INDICATING THAT THE USABLE/UNUSABLE FUEL MAY HAVE CHANGED AND THIS LEFT THE PILOT^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WITHOUT A REASONABLE EXPECTATION OF KNOWING THE MANUFACTURER'S FUEL QUANTITY REQUIREMENTS COULD BE DIFFERENT.
HOWEVER, WITH ALL OF THAT BEING CLEARLY STATED, IT IS THE OPINION THIS INSPECTOR THAT REGARDLESS OF THE LEVEL OF UNUSABLE FUEL, THE PILOT ENTERED A RIGHT HAND TURN KNOWING THAT THE LEFT TANK WAS DRY (HE STATED THAT HE BURNS OFF ONE TANK AND THEN ANOTHER) AND IN DOING SO, UNPORTED THE FUEL TO THE ENGINE CAUSING THE SHUT DOWN OF THE ENGINE.
THIS INSPECTOR RECOMMENDS RETRAINING ON FUEL MANAGEMENT PROCEDURES AND HOW UNLEVEL FLIGHT MAY RESULT IN FUEL STARVATION.
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 N1301H · 4
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.