What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Pitts model 12, registration numberprivacy data omitted departed Conroe North Houston Airport (kcxo) and proceeded west. After 10 minutes into the flight at 2000 feet, the pilot decided to return to kcxo and noticed the engine was not producing power. The pilot proceeded to troubleshoot the loss of power and turned the electric boost pump on. The engine surged momentarily but did not produce power. The pilot switched tanks, check the magnetos and applied mixture full rich. The altitude continued to deteriorate and attempts to start the engine failed. The pilot decided to make an emergency landing but hit the power wires and the aircraft came to rest inverted on the road. The pilot was uninjured but the copilot sustained minor injuries.
The owner of the aircraft was at the accident scene. During the interview, he stated the main fuel tank had almost 30 gallons of fuel. He said the aircraft underwent an annual inspection in November of 2022 and was test flown afterwards and the main fuel tank was refueled with the top wing tank empty. At the accident scene, the investigator did not observe a fuel odor or evidence of a larger fuel spill from the aircraft. During the recovery of the aircraft, it was righted on its landing gear and the main fuel tank was checked. The owner located the fuel quantity “stick” used to determine the amount of fuel in the main tank. A picture was taken of the fuel quantity “stick” with about ¾ inch of fuel in the main tank. Examination of the log book revealed no major deficiencies discovered during the annual inspection. The inspector asked the owner if the pilots checked the fuel on preflight. The owner said no, that he had informed the pilot the aircraft had fuel in the main tank.
The pilot provided a statement of the events and was very cooperative. There was one witness to the accident and he provided a statement to the police and to the investigator.
Analysis from the investigation suspect fuel exhaustion. However, the engine will be test run and if there are any new discoveries as to the cause of the accident the report will be amended.
06/20/2023-NTSB analysis of privacy data omitted engine run. Before operating the engine, the engine driven fuel pump was removed and tested. The test revealed the fuel pump was leaking. The fuel pump was reinstalled and an attempt to start the engine failed. The fuel pump was replaced and the engine started and operated. The fuel pump analysis found nonferrous metal contamination, which caused the fuel pump to leak resulting in engine shut down.
As the FAA filed it
PITTS MODEL 12, REGISTRATION NUMBER^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ DEPARTED CONROE NORTH HOUSTON AIRPORT (KCXO) AND PROCEEDED WEST. AFTER 10 MINUTES INTO THE FLIGHT AT 2000 FEET, THE PILOT DECIDED TO RETURN TO KCXO AND NOTICED THE ENGINE WAS NOT PRODUCING POWER. THE PILOT PROCEEDED TO TROUBLESHOOT THE LOSS OF POWER AND TURNED THE ELECTRIC BOOST PUMP ON. THE ENGINE SURGED MOMENTARILY BUT DID NOT PRODUCE POWER. THE PILOT SWITCHED TANKS, CHECK THE MAGNETOS AND APPLIED MIXTURE FULL RICH. THE ALTITUDE CONTINUED TO DETERIORATE AND ATTEMPTS TO START THE ENGINE FAILED. THE PILOT DECIDED TO MAKE AN EMERGENCY LANDING BUT HIT THE POWER WIRES AND THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST INVERTED ON THE ROAD. THE PILOT WAS UNINJURED BUT THE COPILOT SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES.
THE OWNER OF THE AIRCRAFT WAS AT THE ACCIDENT SCENE. DURING THE INTERVIEW, HE STATED THE MAIN FUEL TANK HAD ALMOST 30 GALLONS OF FUEL. HE SAID THE AIRCRAFT UNDERWENT AN ANNUAL INSPECTION IN NOVEMBER OF 2022 AND WAS TEST FLOWN AFTERWARDS AND THE MAIN FUEL TANK WAS REFUELED WITH THE TOP WING TANK EMPTY. AT THE ACCIDENT SCENE, THE INVESTIGATOR DID NOT OBSERVE A FUEL ODOR OR EVIDENCE OF A LARGER FUEL SPILL FROM THE AIRCRAFT. DURING THE RECOVERY OF THE AIRCRAFT, IT WAS RIGHTED ON ITS LANDING GEAR AND THE MAIN FUEL TANK WAS CHECKED. THE OWNER LOCATED THE FUEL QUANTITY “STICK” USED TO DETERMINE THE AMOUNT OF FUEL IN THE MAIN TANK. A PICTURE WAS TAKEN OF THE FUEL QUANTITY “STICK” WITH ABOUT ¾ INCH OF FUEL IN THE MAIN TANK. EXAMINATION OF THE LOG BOOK REVEALED NO MAJOR DEFICIENCIES DISCOVERED DURING THE ANNUAL INSPECTION. THE INSPECTOR ASKED THE OWNER IF THE PILOTS CHECKED THE FUEL ON PREFLIGHT. THE OWNER SAID NO, THAT HE HAD INFORMED THE PILOT THE AIRCRAFT HAD FUEL IN THE MAIN TANK.
THE PILOT PROVIDED A STATEMENT OF THE EVENTS AND WAS VERY COOPERATIVE. THERE WAS ONE WITNESS TO THE ACCIDENT AND HE PROVIDED A STATEMENT TO THE POLICE AND TO THE INVESTIGATOR.
ANALYSIS FROM THE INVESTIGATION SUSPECT FUEL EXHAUSTION. HOWEVER, THE ENGINE WILL BE TEST RUN AND IF THERE ARE ANY NEW DISCOVERIES AS TO THE CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT THE REPORT WILL BE AMENDED.
06/20/2023-NTSB ANALYSIS OF ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ ENGINE RUN. BEFORE OPERATING THE ENGINE, THE ENGINE DRIVEN FUEL PUMP WAS REMOVED AND TESTED. THE TEST REVEALED THE FUEL PUMP WAS LEAKING. THE FUEL PUMP WAS REINSTALLED AND AN ATTEMPT TO START THE ENGINE FAILED. THE FUEL PUMP WAS REPLACED AND THE ENGINE STARTED AND OPERATED. THE FUEL PUMP ANALYSIS FOUND NONFERROUS METAL CONTAMINATION, WHICH CAUSED THE FUEL PUMP TO LEAK RESULTING IN ENGINE SHUT DOWN.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.