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20170522006789I

Incident · No damage
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FAA incident report · Koester Dan RANS S-12S · Klamath Falls, OR · May 22, 2017

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

© OpenStreetMap
Date
May 22, 2017 · 11:25 local
Place
Klamath Falls, OR
Phase of flight
Landing: Approach
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
No damage
Aircraft
N462DK
Reported as
Koester Dan Rans S-12S
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
700 total400 in this make and model30 in the last 90 days
N462DKRegistered now · Koester Dan RANS S-12SS/N 10990890 · Built 2000Airframe modelKoester Dan RANS S-12SEngine 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 planned a trip from S40 to kfat, flying through central Oregon, over bend, to Klamath Falls, across the southern shoulder of Mt. Shasta, and then down through the central valley to fresno. Pilot received a standard weather briefing. Good weather and favorable winds all the way. Plotted the course using foreflight on an ipad. Program calculated fuel usage from numbers entered by pilot. Considering weather, fuel burn rate and quantity the pilot determined he should have enough fuel for the first leg from S40 to klmt with at least 30 minutes of fuel remaining.

Pilot stated fuel looked ok when flying over bend. Encountered a few spots of headwinds as he continued toward klmt. Fuel was getting low as aircraft approached klmt. Right tank was empty and left tank was quickly drawing down. Contacted tower and got a clearance to enter left downwing to land on 32. One mile out engine coughed and died. Pilot stabilized aircraft, saw a field, and told tower he was out of fuel. Tower responded he could land any runway. Pilot landed in rough field with full flaps then contacted tower to inform them he was ok with no aircraft damage. Tower called 911 and sheriff responded.

Pilot later determined he had used the Rotax performance numbers he had gotten from the Rotax website which were incorrect.

As the FAA filed it

PILOT PLANNED A TRIP FROM S40 TO KFAT, FLYING THROUGH CENTRAL OREGON, OVER BEND, TO KLAMATH FALLS, ACROSS THE SOUTHERN SHOULDER OF MT. SHASTA, AND THEN DOWN THROUGH THE CENTRAL VALLEY TO FRESNO. PILOT RECEIVED A STANDARD WEATHER BRIEFING. GOOD WEATHER AND FAVORABLE WINDS ALL THE WAY. PLOTTED THE COURSE USING FOREFLIGHT ON AN IPAD. PROGRAM CALCULATED FUEL USAGE FROM NUMBERS ENTERED BY PILOT. CONSIDERING WEATHER, FUEL BURN RATE AND QUANTITY THE PILOT DETERMINED HE SHOULD HAVE ENOUGH FUEL FOR THE FIRST LEG FROM S40 TO KLMT WITH AT LEAST 30 MINUTES OF FUEL REMAINING.

PILOT STATED FUEL LOOKED OK WHEN FLYING OVER BEND. ENCOUNTERED A FEW SPOTS OF HEADWINDS AS HE CONTINUED TOWARD KLMT. FUEL WAS GETTING LOW AS AIRCRAFT APPROACHED KLMT. RIGHT TANK WAS EMPTY AND LEFT TANK WAS QUICKLY DRAWING DOWN. CONTACTED TOWER AND GOT A CLEARANCE TO ENTER LEFT DOWNWING TO LAND ON 32. ONE MILE OUT ENGINE COUGHED AND DIED. PILOT STABILIZED AIRCRAFT, SAW A FIELD, AND TOLD TOWER HE WAS OUT OF FUEL. TOWER RESPONDED HE COULD LAND ANY RUNWAY. PILOT LANDED IN ROUGH FIELD WITH FULL FLAPS THEN CONTACTED TOWER TO INFORM THEM HE WAS OK WITH NO AIRCRAFT DAMAGE. TOWER CALLED 911 AND SHERIFF RESPONDED.

PILOT LATER DETERMINED HE HAD USED THE ROTAX PERFORMANCE NUMBERS HE HAD GOTTEN FROM THE ROTAX WEBSITE WHICH WERE INCORRECT.