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20160603008549A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Smith Richard D FW2TR (XLS) · Mcallen, TX · June 3, 2016

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
June 3, 2016 · 10:28 local
Place
Mcallen, TX
Airport
Mcallen Miller Int'L
Phase of flight
Landing: Approach
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N418DS
NTSB investigation
NTSBCEN16LA207
Reported as
Smith Richard D FW2TR (XLS)
Reported engine
Bombardier ROTAX (ALL)
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificates
Commercial pilot, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours
13,000 total305 in this make and model6 in the last 90 days
N418DSRegistered now · Smith Richard D FW2TR (XLS)S/N DS4 · Built 1999Airframe modelSmith Richard D FW2TR (XLS)Engine modelBombardier ROTAX (ALL)Reciprocating

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 departed from edinburg airport edinburg, Texas (25R) for Mcallen airport Mcallen, Texas (mfe) after completing touch and go landings. Approximately 20 miles from Mcallen airport, pilot contacted Mcallen tower for landing instructions. While in contact with the tower, pilot encountered engine failure. Pilot was unable to glide to the airport runway and elected to make an emergency landing off the airport. Due to loss of altitude and speed aircraft crashed into a residence back yard tree. Aircraft sustained substantial damage to engine compartment , engine firewall and leading edges of both wings. Pilot was uninjured. Pilot stated he felt engine failure was due to fuel depletion. Further investigation revealed pilot flew local flight to exhaust most of the fuel in fuel tanks for storage of aircraft while on vacation. Pilot miscalculated fuel consumption which ultimately caused engine to shutdown due to fuel depletion resulting in an emergency crash landing. Iic recommends remedial training for pilot.

As the FAA filed it

PILOT DEPARTED FROM EDINBURG AIRPORT EDINBURG, TEXAS (25R) FOR MCALLEN AIRPORT MCALLEN, TEXAS (MFE) AFTER COMPLETING TOUCH AND GO LANDINGS. APPROXIMATELY 20 MILES FROM MCALLEN AIRPORT, PILOT CONTACTED MCALLEN TOWER FOR LANDING INSTRUCTIONS. WHILE IN CONTACT WITH THE TOWER, PILOT ENCOUNTERED ENGINE FAILURE. PILOT WAS UNABLE TO GLIDE TO THE AIRPORT RUNWAY AND ELECTED TO MAKE AN EMERGENCY LANDING OFF THE AIRPORT. DUE TO LOSS OF ALTITUDE AND SPEED AIRCRAFT CRASHED INTO A RESIDENCE BACK YARD TREE. AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO ENGINE COMPARTMENT , ENGINE FIREWALL AND LEADING EDGES OF BOTH WINGS. PILOT WAS UNINJURED. PILOT STATED HE FELT ENGINE FAILURE WAS DUE TO FUEL DEPLETION. FURTHER INVESTIGATION REVEALED PILOT FLEW LOCAL FLIGHT TO EXHAUST MOST OF THE FUEL IN FUEL TANKS FOR STORAGE OF AIRCRAFT WHILE ON VACATION. PILOT MISCALCULATED FUEL CONSUMPTION WHICH ULTIMATELY CAUSED ENGINE TO SHUTDOWN DUE TO FUEL DEPLETION RESULTING IN AN EMERGENCY CRASH LANDING. IIC RECOMMENDS REMEDIAL TRAINING FOR PILOT.

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 CEN16LA207Accident · Minor injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportAlamo, TXThe total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion, which resulted in a forced landing and a collision with a tree.Jun 3, 2016 · Substantial damage