- Date
- May 11, 2023, 17:30 local (May 12, 2023, 01:30 UTC)
- Place
- Sterling, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N3151Dennis D Downs CCK-1865
- Defining event
- Initial climb: Fuel exhaustion
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20230511012729A
- Case key
- 162755
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The NTSB’s determination of the probable cause, and any contributing factors.
The pilot's inadequate preflight inspection and fuel planning, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.
Findings · 5
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings.
Analysis
During an interview, the non-certificated pilot reported that he departed from a private airstrip without conducting a preflight inspection and was unaware of how much fuel was in the airplane. After departure the engine lost all power. The pilot turned the airplane back to the airstrip but did not have the altitude, and subsequently the airplane impacted trees along a road. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings and empennage during the accident sequence. The non-certificated pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. During recovery of the airplane the non-certificated pilot reported that there was no fuel in either fuel tank and he suspected the airplane ran out of fuel.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3151
- Reported as
- Dennis D Downs CCK-1865
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- CCK-1865-0106
- Built
- 2015
- Engine
- Esci 0340, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · August 14, 2022
- Equipment
- None
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 72
- Injuries
- None
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 3-point
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 220° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 10,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 54 °F, dew point 34 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.87 inHg
- Observed at
- PAEN, 11 nm away
- METAR
- PAEN 120153Z 22006KT 10SM SCT060 OVC100 12/01 A2987 RMK AO2 SLP118 T01170006
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.