What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
A private pilot of a jabiru amateur built aircraft departed from hickory, north carolina, (kcub) landing in columbia, south carolina for fuel and proceeding to port orange (spruce creek) rounded a 5-mile circle of Daytona, due to a malfunctioning transponder identified when approaching columbia. The pilot stated he was at a 45-degree angle to the Beach when the engine sputtered and then stopped and positioned straight and level. Both tanks in the on position and turned on the boost pump after the engine stopped, turning directly towards the shoreline. On scene we drained approximately 4 gallons of fuel from the wings. The amount of unusable fuel is said to be around 1.3 gallons however cannot be substantiated. The aircraft typically has two fuel pick-ups, one being on the engine, the other in the wings. The aircraft has a capacity of 36 gallons and manufacturer specifications state the engine burns approximately 5.5 hours w/ one-hour reserve and a distance of 660NM. The pilot was the single person on board and was alert, oriented and ambulatory prior to being transported to the hospital for observation and a laceration on his forearm. The aircraft was submerged into saltwater, therefore, any probability of an engine run would be unlikely.
As the FAA filed it
A PRIVATE PILOT OF A JABIRU AMATEUR BUILT AIRCRAFT DEPARTED FROM HICKORY, NORTH CAROLINA, (KCUB) LANDING IN COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA FOR FUEL AND PROCEEDING TO PORT ORANGE (SPRUCE CREEK) ROUNDED A 5-MILE CIRCLE OF DAYTONA, DUE TO A MALFUNCTIONING TRANSPONDER IDENTIFIED WHEN APPROACHING COLUMBIA. THE PILOT STATED HE WAS AT A 45-DEGREE ANGLE TO THE BEACH WHEN THE ENGINE SPUTTERED AND THEN STOPPED AND POSITIONED STRAIGHT AND LEVEL. BOTH TANKS IN THE ON POSITION AND TURNED ON THE BOOST PUMP AFTER THE ENGINE STOPPED, TURNING DIRECTLY TOWARDS THE SHORELINE. ON SCENE WE DRAINED APPROXIMATELY 4 GALLONS OF FUEL FROM THE WINGS. THE AMOUNT OF UNUSABLE FUEL IS SAID TO BE AROUND 1.3 GALLONS HOWEVER CANNOT BE SUBSTANTIATED. THE AIRCRAFT TYPICALLY HAS TWO FUEL PICK-UPS, ONE BEING ON THE ENGINE, THE OTHER IN THE WINGS. THE AIRCRAFT HAS A CAPACITY OF 36 GALLONS AND MANUFACTURER SPECIFICATIONS STATE THE ENGINE BURNS APPROXIMATELY 5.5 HOURS W/ ONE-HOUR RESERVE AND A DISTANCE OF 660NM. THE PILOT WAS THE SINGLE PERSON ON BOARD AND WAS ALERT, ORIENTED AND AMBULATORY PRIOR TO BEING TRANSPORTED TO THE HOSPITAL FOR OBSERVATION AND A LACERATION ON HIS FOREARM. THE AIRCRAFT WAS SUBMERGED INTO SALTWATER, THEREFORE, ANY PROBABILITY OF AN ENGINE RUN WOULD BE UNLIKELY.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.