20230906018739A

A LIGHT SPORT REMOS AIRCRAFT N81GX, BASED AT THE FT. PIERCE (INDIAN RIVER COUNTY AIRPORT), WAS BEING FLOWN UNDER PART 91.327 PRIOR TO ITS SALE AND TRANSFER. THE PILOT ARRIVED TO INSPECT THE AIRCRAFT AND PERFORMED A RECORDS REVIEW. DURING THIS TIME THE CURRENT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^DISCLOSED TO THE PILOT THAT THE AIRCRAFT HAD BEEN IDLE AND HAD NOT FLOWN FOR APPROXIMATELY A YEAR. THE AIRCRAFT CONDITION INSPECTION COMPLETION IS UNKNOWN DUE TO UNAVAILABLE LOGBOOKS HOWEVER THE PILOT PERFORMED PREFLIGHT INSPECTIONS. THE AIRCRAFT FUEL QUANTITY WAS STATED TO BE JUST ABOUT 5 GALLONS ONBOARD. THE PIC PERFORMED A WATER TEST WITH A FUEL DRAINER ASSEMBLY AND STATED NO WATER WAS IDENTIFIED WITHIN THE SYSTEM AND PROCEEDED TO ADD AN ADDITIONAL 10 GALLONS FOR THE DESIRED FLIGHT CHECKS. THE PILOT STATED THAT ALL INITIAL GROUND CHECKS WERE WITHIN THE OPERATING PARAMETERS PER THE POH. ONCE CLEARED FOR FLIGHT HE THEN PROCEEDED TO FLY PATTERN WORK FOR ABOUT 2-3 PASSES RE-CHECKING ALL GAUGES AND PRESSURES, ALL OF WHICH WERE STATED TO BE NORMAL AND PROCEEDED WITH THE SCHEDULED FOLLOW-ON FLIGHT TO KISSIMMEE GATEWAY AIRPORT, WITH A FLIGHT TIME OF APPROXIMATELY 40 MINUTES TO REST AND FUEL FOR THE DEPARTURE TO CALIFORNIA WHERE THE AIRCRAFT WAS TO BE DELIVERED. THE PILOT STATED HE WAS AT A CRUISE ALTITUDE OF 3-3.5, WHEN HE EXPERIENCED RPM DROPS FOLLOWED BY A LOSS OF ENGINE. HE STATED THAT HE MANAGED TO RESTART THE ENGINE, BUT THE POWER WAS ONLY BRIEF AS IT KEPT SPUTTERING. HE THEN DECLARED AN EMERGENCY AND BEING TOO FAR FROM THE NEAREST AIRPORT. ATC INFORMED HIM OF A GRASS STRIP AIRPORT NEARBY BUT COULDN’T FIND IT. WITH THAT HIS ALTITUDE WAS DROPPING THEREFORE RESULTING IN AN OFF-FIELD LANDING IN A GRASS FIELD WEST OF THE FT. PIERCE AIRPORT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS REQUIRED TO BE AIRLIFTED FROM THE SCENE BY JACKSONVILLE AIR RECOVERY. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE THAT CONSISTED OF BULKED FLOORBOARDS ON BOTH THE PILOT AND THE CO-PILOT SIDE, THE GEAR LEG AS AN ASSEMBLY WAS TORN AWAY FROM ITS MOUNTING BRACKETS AND ATTACHED ONLY BY THE BRAKE LINES. THE WING TIP CONTACTED THE SURFACE CAUSING IT TO BUCKLE AS WELL AS THE SECONDARY FLIGHT CONTROL DAMAGE. THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED PUSHING IT INT THE UNDER CARRIAGE OF THE AIRCRAFT CAUSING CREASES. THE LEFT-WING BRACE APPEARED BENT, AND THE WHEEL PANTS CRACKED AND DETACHED. THERE DID NOT APPEAR TO BE ANY FUEL LEAKING NOR WAS THERE A SMELL OF RESIDUE FUEL. ONCE IN PLACE AT THE SALVAGE FACILITY THE AIRCRAFT WAS PREPARED FOR A POST-CRASH RUN. THE AIRCRAFT AND ENGINE WERE INSPECTED, AND THE ENGINE WAS READIED FOR PRELIMINARY RUNS PER THE NTSB, A LOCAL MECHANIC AUTHORIZED BY THE NTSB COMPLETED THE REQUIRED RUNS WITHOUT ANY DEFICIENCIES OR ENGINE STALLS. THE MECHANIC INSPECTED ALL THE COMPONENTS AND ACCESSORIES THAT COULD HAVE CAUSED THE ENGINE TO QUIT NONE OF WHICH WERE IDENTIFIED THEREFORE, WITH THAT DETERMINED THAT THE AIRCRAFT DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH USEABLE FUEL ONBOARD THEREFORE APPEARS THE PILOT MAY HAVE ENCOUNTERED FUEL DEPLETION CAUSING THE ENGINE TO SPUTTER AND SHUTDOWN. IT IS THIS INSPECTOR’S OPINION THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS LOW ON FUEL PRIOR TO LEAVING THE FT. PIERCE AREA FOR THE INTENDED FLIGHT UNDER 91.151, THE PILOT MUST ENSURE ENOUGH FUEL IS ONBOARD IN VFR CONDITIONS AND AT A CRUISING SPEED THEREFORE, UNDER THESE CIRCUMSTANCES BELIEVE THAT PILOT ERROR CONTRIBUTED AND RECOMMEND THE PILOT UNDERGO AN 44-709 EXAM FOR THE ISSUES STATED.