- Date
- August 6, 2011, 18:00 local (23:00 UTC)
- Place
- Douglas, KS
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N403BPQuicksilver Sprint II
- Defining event
- Maneuvering: Fuel exhaustion
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 17, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration, Federal Aviation Adminstration
- FAA report
- 20110806018809A
- Case key
- 81416
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 management, 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, while conducting a local flight, the airplane's engine began to lose power. The pilot was unable to maintain altitude and the airplane began to descend. The pilot initially chose a field in which to land, but a barbed wire fence obstructed the selected landing area. The pilot then attempted to land past the barbed wire fence; however, the airplane stalled and impacted terrain. The hard landing resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage and wings. An examination of the airplane revealed a lack of fuel throughout the fuel system. After adding fuel to the airplane's fuel tanks, the engine operated normally.
Factual narrative
When on a local flight, the airplane's engine began to lose engine power. The pilot was unable to maintain altitude and the airplane began to descend. The pilot initially chose a forced landing area in a field, but a barbed wire fence obstructed the selected landing area. The pilot then attempted to land past the barbed wire fence; however, the airplane stalled and impacted terrain. The hard landing resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage and wings. An examination of the airplane revealed a lack of fuel throughout the fuel system. After adding fuel to the airplane's fuel tanks, the engine operated normally.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N403BP
- Reported as
- Quicksilver Sprint II
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 0662
- Engine
- Rotax 582DCDI, 65 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Patterson Kenneth M
- Registered owner
- Patterson Kenneth M
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental light sport (Special)
- Departed
- SN52 · Douglass, KS
- Destination
- SN52 · Douglass, KS
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
- 43
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 150° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 97 °F, dew point 64 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.82 inHg
- Observed at
- KIAB, 15 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 15, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 44 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.