What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 22 jul 2020, at approximately 14:45 (CST), N2158P departed Franke Field (79AR) to perform a banner tow operation over sherwood, north little rock, and little rock, Arkansas. At approximately 17:45 (CST) while enroute back to 79AR after completion of a banner tow operation, the pilot stated that the engine reacted like it had run out of fuel, and the aircraft lost power. The pilot released the banner and performed an emergency landing approximately 2 miles west of 79AR in a pipeline right-of-way. At the end of the landing roll, the aircraft struck a fence and post, sustaining substantial damage to the right wing. Inspection of the fuel system was unremarkable; no evidence of damage, leakage, or failures; fuel tank was completely empty; approximatley one (1) quart of fuel was recovered from the fuel system at the gascalator. A banner tow operation of approximately 1.7 hours was conducted earlier in the day that had been cut short due to weather. The pilot stated that he normally fueled the aircraft with the tail wheel reversed, lifting the rear of the aircraft, thus allowing for maximum fuel servicing; however, following the first flight of the day, the aircraft was not configured with the rear of the aircraft lifted, approximately 20 gallons of fuel was added, and he calculated a 11.8 gph fuel consumption rate. He stated that he routinely flew three (3) hour banner tow flights and serviced up to 35 gallons. Specifications for this model aircraft indicate that it has a 46 gallon fuel tank, with between four (4) and seven (7) gallons of unusable fuel, and an approximate fuel consumption rate of 12 to 13 gph in normal flight, and 14 to 15 for acrobatic. Assuming a full fuel load of 46 gallons, minus seven (7) gallons unusable, and a 13 gph fuel consumption rate, a three (3) hour flight would result in zero (0) fuel remaining.
As the FAA filed it
ON 22 JUL 2020, AT APPROXIMATELY 14:45 (CST), N2158P DEPARTED FRANKE FIELD (79AR) TO PERFORM A BANNER TOW OPERATION OVER SHERWOOD, NORTH LITTLE ROCK, AND LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS. AT APPROXIMATELY 17:45 (CST) WHILE ENROUTE BACK TO 79AR AFTER COMPLETION OF A BANNER TOW OPERATION, THE PILOT STATED THAT THE ENGINE REACTED LIKE IT HAD RUN OUT OF FUEL, AND THE AIRCRAFT LOST POWER. THE PILOT RELEASED THE BANNER AND PERFORMED AN EMERGENCY LANDING APPROXIMATELY 2 MILES WEST OF 79AR IN A PIPELINE RIGHT-OF-WAY. AT THE END OF THE LANDING ROLL, THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK A FENCE AND POST, SUSTAINING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE RIGHT WING. INSPECTION OF THE FUEL SYSTEM WAS UNREMARKABLE; NO EVIDENCE OF DAMAGE, LEAKAGE, OR FAILURES; FUEL TANK WAS COMPLETELY EMPTY; APPROXIMATLEY ONE (1) QUART OF FUEL WAS RECOVERED FROM THE FUEL SYSTEM AT THE GASCALATOR. A BANNER TOW OPERATION OF APPROXIMATELY 1.7 HOURS WAS CONDUCTED EARLIER IN THE DAY THAT HAD BEEN CUT SHORT DUE TO WEATHER. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE NORMALLY FUELED THE AIRCRAFT WITH THE TAIL WHEEL REVERSED, LIFTING THE REAR OF THE AIRCRAFT, THUS ALLOWING FOR MAXIMUM FUEL SERVICING; HOWEVER, FOLLOWING THE FIRST FLIGHT OF THE DAY, THE AIRCRAFT WAS NOT CONFIGURED WITH THE REAR OF THE AIRCRAFT LIFTED, APPROXIMATELY 20 GALLONS OF FUEL WAS ADDED, AND HE CALCULATED A 11.8 GPH FUEL CONSUMPTION RATE. HE STATED THAT HE ROUTINELY FLEW THREE (3) HOUR BANNER TOW FLIGHTS AND SERVICED UP TO 35 GALLONS. SPECIFICATIONS FOR THIS MODEL AIRCRAFT INDICATE THAT IT HAS A 46 GALLON FUEL TANK, WITH BETWEEN FOUR (4) AND SEVEN (7) GALLONS OF UNUSABLE FUEL, AND AN APPROXIMATE FUEL CONSUMPTION RATE OF 12 TO 13 GPH IN NORMAL FLIGHT, AND 14 TO 15 FOR ACROBATIC. ASSUMING A FULL FUEL LOAD OF 46 GALLONS, MINUS SEVEN (7) GALLONS UNUSABLE, AND A 13 GPH FUEL CONSUMPTION RATE, A THREE (3) HOUR FLIGHT WOULD RESULT IN ZERO (0) FUEL REMAINING.
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 N2158P · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.