- Date
- September 9, 2010, 13:30 local (17:30 UTC)
- Place
- Wooster, OH
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N112THRobertson Velocity
- Defining event
- Maneuvering: Loss of engine power (total)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 16, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA-CLE-FSDO
- FAA report
- 20100909051989A
- Case key
- 77253
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
A loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion as a result of the pilot's inadequate fuel planning.
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
The pilot reported that, prior to departure, the fuel system sight gages indicated he had over 25 gallons of fuel on board; he did not visually check the fuel level in the tanks. Upon reaching his destination, the pilot made a low approach over the runway, climbed, and flew to an area about 5 miles from the airport to wait for another airplane to land ahead of him. The engine experienced a loss of power and he maneuvered the airplane into a glide back to the airport. Realizing he was not going to be able to reach the airport, the pilot chose a field to perform a forced landing. Just prior to touch down, the airplane stalled and landed hard. Postaccident inspection of the airplane revealed the fuel tanks were intact and there was no fuel present either in the tanks or on the ground around the wreckage.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that prior to departure, the fuel system sight gages indicated he had over 25 gallons of fuel on board. The pilot did not visually check the fuel level in the tanks. Upon reaching his destination, the pilot made a low approach over the runway, climbed, and flew to an area about 5 miles from the airport to wait for another airplane to land ahead of him. The pilot reported the engine then lost power and he began a glide back toward the airport. Realizing he was not going to be able to reach the airport, he chose a field in which to land. According to the pilot, the airplane stalled just prior to touching down resulting in substantial damage to the wings and empennage. Post accident inspection of the airplane revealed the fuel tanks were intact and there was no fuel present either in the tanks or on the ground around the wreckage.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N112TH
- Reported as
- Robertson Velocity
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- SRE042
- Airframe hours
- 51
- Engine
- Superior XP-IO-360, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Robertson James F
- Registered owner
- Robertson James F
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 9, 2010 · 51 hours before
- Departed
- 2G9 · Somerset, PA
- Destination
- BJJ · Wooster, OH
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
- 68
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 13, 2010
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 2,802 total · 51 in this make and model · 2,644 as pilot in command · 7 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 320° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 167 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.05 inHg
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 12, 2010, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 930 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.
Other investigations on N112TH · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.