- Date
- September 5, 2010, 08:45 local (13:45 UTC)
- Place
- Plum City, WI
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N819WWWeber Acro Sport II
- Defining event
- Enroute-cruise: Fuel exhaustion
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 5, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- Federal Avaiation Administration
- FAA report
- 20100905044939A
- Case key
- 77232
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 pilot’s improper fuel planning, which resulted in a loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
According to the pilot, he departed with approximately 10 gallons of fuel onboard the experimental amateur-built airplane. About 20 minutes into the cross-country flight, the airplane's engine lost power and the pilot performed a forced landing to rolling terrain. A postaccident examination of the airplane and engine revealed no mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. Additionally, the on-scene inspection revealed that the fuel system was intact and that the fuel sight gauge indicated that the fuel level was low.
Factual narrative
The pilot indicated that the experimental amateur-built biplane lost engine power during cruise about 20 minutes into a cross-country flight. The terrain where the airplane sustained substantial damage to its lower left spar during an off field landing consisted of rolling hills. He reported that he departed with approximately 10 to 11 gallons of 100 low lead aviation gasoline. The pilot’s accident report stated the airplane remained intact following the accident. An on-scene examination of the wreckage revealed no pre-impact anomalies and the fuel system was intact. The indicated on-scene fuel level was in a red colored range on the fuel sight gauge.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N819WW
- Reported as
- Weber Acro Sport II
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 273
- Airframe hours
- 143
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-B2A, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Stephen J. Weber
- Registered owner
- Wallace W. Weber
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 15, 2009
- Departed
- 49MN · Hastings, MN
- Destination
- Mondovi, WI
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
- 58
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight engineer, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 23, 2010
- Seat
- Rear
- Flight hours
- 25,000 total · 130 in this make and model · 23,000 as pilot in command · 285 in the last 90 days · 85 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 90° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 6,500 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 54 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.92 inHg
- Observed at
- RGK
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 14, 2010, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 644 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.