# NTSB CEN12LA460: Chamberlain Gerald Escapade, N3YV, Rutland, OH, July 20, 2012 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Fatal · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: July 20, 2012, 11:20 local (15:20 UTC) - Place: Rutland, OH - Coordinates: 39.11, -82.113609 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.1100&lon=-82.1136&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Enroute: Loss of engine power (total)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341) - Highest injury: Fatal - Injuries: 1 fatal - Status: Completed, report June 19, 2013 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Central Region - Parties: FAA FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 84388 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN12LA460 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/84388/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=84388 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN12LA460 ## Probable cause The pilot’s inadequate fuel management, which resulted in a loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion. Contributing to the accident was the inadvertent stall during the pilot’s emergency landing and the pilot’s decision to continue flight in deteriorating weather conditions. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Performance/control parameters: airspeed](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062010): Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintained (probable cause); cases with it: [Chamberlain Gerald ESCAPADE, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062010/cases.md?model=0590230), [All aircraft, 1,681 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062010/cases.md) - [Fluids: fuel](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010): Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware · Fluid level (probable cause); cases with it: [Chamberlain Gerald ESCAPADE, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010/cases.md?model=0590230), [All aircraft, 1,695 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010/cases.md) - [Aircraft](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01070000): Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware · Fluid management (probable cause); cases with it: [Chamberlain Gerald ESCAPADE, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01070000/cases.md?model=0590230), [All aircraft, 3 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01070000/cases.md) - [Info processing/decision: decision making/judgment](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041520): Personnel issues › Action/decision · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Chamberlain Gerald ESCAPADE, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041520/cases.md?model=0590230), [All aircraft, 3,098 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041520/cases.md) - [Ceiling/visibility/precip: low visibility](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03035015): Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena · Effect on personnel (probable cause); cases with it: [Chamberlain Gerald ESCAPADE, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03035015/cases.md?model=0590230), [All aircraft, 175 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03035015/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Enroute: Loss of engine power (total)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341) (defining event); cases with it: [Chamberlain Gerald ESCAPADE, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341/sequence.md?model=0590230), [All aircraft, 3,820 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341/sequence.md) ## Analysis The airplane was near the end of a 389-mile cross-country flight when the engine began to sputter. A witness reported that the airplane’s engine sputtered, went silent, restarted, sputtered, and again went silent. The airplane had completed a left turn toward a field when the nose dropped to a nearly 90-degree, nose-low attitude and descended toward the terrain, consistent with an aerodynamic stall. First responders found the airplane’s header fuel tank empty. Only a residual amount of fuel remained in the wing fuel tanks, and all other fuel areas were empty. An examination of the airplane did not detect any preimpact anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. The non-instrument rated pilot’s cruise altitude could not be verified; however, instrument meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight’s last 90 nautical miles. It is likely that the pilot not being instrument rated, was probably relying purely on the ground positioning system direction to maintain course, and he was unable to locate and land at several airports along his route of flight prior to fuel exhaustion. Postmortem toxicology testing for the pilot indicated positive results for Paroxetine and Rosuvastatin. The pilot had not reported any medication on his medical application to the FAA. Although such medications can impair mental and/or physical ability, it was not possible to determine to what extent the pilot may have been impaired. ## Factual narrative On July 20, 2012, about 1120 eastern daylight time, an experimental kit-built Escapade airplane, N3YV, collided with trees near Rutland, Ohio. The pilot, the sole occupant, was fatally injured. The airplane sustained substantial damage to its wings and fuselage. The airplane was owned and operated by a private individual under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulation (CFR) Part 91 as a personal flight. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed for the cross-country flight that operated on a visual flight rules flight plan. The flight departed the Lumberton Municipal Airport (KLBT), Lumberton, North Carolina, at an unknown time, and was en route to the Newark-Heath Airport (KVTA), Newark, Ohio. A statement provided by an eyewitness reported that the airplane was flying from east to west about 130 feet above ground level and just below low clouds, when the airplane entered a left turn. The airplane's engine sputtered and went silent, the engine sound returned, and then sputtered and went silent. The airplane then descended rapidly in a near vertical attitude. When first responders reached the accident site, they removed an empty, metal tank in order to extract the pilot. This metal tank was later determined to be the airplane’s header fuel tank. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspectors responded to the accident site. The airplane was equipped with 18 gallon wing fuel tanks which contained only a residual amount of fuel. The fuel filters, which were located beneath the header tank, were also empty of fuel. There was no fuel blighting on the vegetation around the wreckage. Due to impact damage and recovery efforts by first responders, the position of the emergency engine override switches could not be confirmed. No preimpact anomalies were detected which would have precluded the normal operation of the airplane. A Viking Aircraft engine was installed on the airplane and the engine manufacturer was an acquaintance of the pilot. He reported that the pilot would routinely fly from KLBT to Massey Ranch Airpark (KX50), New Smyrna Beach, Florida, a distance of at least 350 nautical miles, without refueling the airplane. It is unknown what cruise altitude and power settings the pilot typically used, during the flight between the KLBT and KX50, nor how much fuel he used or left over at the end of the flight. At 1135, an automated weather reporting facility at the Ohio University Airport-Snyder Field (KUNI), Albany, Ohio, about 9 nautical miles from the accident site, reported wind from 200 degrees at 3 knots, visibility 7 miles, ceiling overcast at 700 feet, temperature 73 degrees Fahrenheit (F), dew point 70 F, and a barometric pressure of 29.94 inches of Mercury. A review of meteorological information from airfields along the pilot’s route of flight revealed that near a third of the way along the pilot’s route of flight, a broken layer was reported at 10,000 feet above ground level (agl). About 45 nautical miles later, an overcast tobroken ceiling was reported at 700 feet agl with an overcast ceiling at 11,000 feet. The ceiling then lifted to a broken ceiling at 2,300 feet and at 5,500 feet. At 11 nautical miles from the accident site, there was a broken ceiling at 700 feet and an overcast ceiling at 1,200 feet. The pilot was non-instrument rated and the airplane was not equipped for instrument flight. Utilizing the pilot’s previous flight to Oshkosh the year prior, the pilot likely intended to land at KVTA, a distance of at least 363 nautical miles from KLBT. The accident site was about 58 nautical miles south-southeast of KVTA. An on-board Lowrance Airmap 2000C was downloaded and found to contain the accident flight’s data track. The Airmap 2000C does not record time, airspeed, or altitude; only the airplane’s position. Therefore, the pilot’s exact cruise airspeed and altitude could not be ascertained. The pilot’s total leg for the accident flight was approximately 338 nautical miles. The track began at the KLBT and flew northwest until southwest of Charleston, West Virginia, where the track begins to make several turns, some of which near 180 degrees. Weather at Charleston, West Virginia, during that time was a few clouds at 1,200 feet, a broken layer at 2,300 feet, and an overcast layer at 5,500 feet. It is unknown if the purpose of the maneuvering was to remain at cruise in visual meteorological conditions or an attempt to descend through the cloud layers. The track then continued towards Pomeroy, Ohio, were a right turn was made followed by a left turn. Continuing to the northwest, the pilot made a left turn and the track stopped were the wreckage was discovered. The FAA Civil Aerospace Medical Institute (CAMI) performed forensic toxicology testing on specimens from the pilot. Results were negative for carbon monoxide, cyanide, and ethanol. The following substances were detected: 0.115 (ug/mL, ug/g) Paroxetine detected in Blood (Cavity) Paroxetine detected in Urine Rosuvastatin detected in Liver Rosuvastatin detected in Blood (Cavity) CAMI’s web-based toxicology drug information noted that paroxetine is an antidepressant serotonin reuptake inhibitor. It carries the warning that is “may impair mental and/or physical ability required for the performance of potentially hazardous tasks (e.g., driving, operating heavy machinery). Rosuvastatin is used to treat high cholesterol and related conditions, and to prevent cardiovascular disease. In addition, the pilot was reported to be a diabetic undergoing treatment by a personal physician. His medications and medical condition had not been reported to the FAA in accordance with 14 CFR 61.303.b.4. It could not be determined to what extent the pilot’s use of medication interfered with his operation of the airplane. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N3YV](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N3YV-2018-01-03), registration cancelled 2018-01-03, S/N JAESC0084, built 2007 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: CHAMBERLAIN GERALD ESCAPADE - Registry model: [Chamberlain Gerald ESCAPADE](https://openairdocs.org/model/chamberlain-gerald-escapade) (registry code 0590230) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Jabiru 2200](https://openairdocs.org/engine/jabiru-2200) (registry code 34800, 4 cycle) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: JAESC0084 - Engines: Viking Aircraft Engines 110 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Operator: Chamberlain Gerald F - Registered owner: Chamberlain Gerald F - Airworthiness certificate: Special, Experimental (Special) - Departed: KLBT, Lumberton, NC - Destination: KVTA, Newark, OH ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 72; injuries: fatal; sport pilot; medical: sport pilot; seat: left; toxicology performed; flight hours: 642 total, 486 in this make and model ## Weather - Conditions: Instrument (IMC), Day - Wind: 200° at 3 knots - Visibility: 7 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 700 ft overcast - Temperature: 73 °F, dew point 70 °F - Altimeter: 29.94 inHg - Observed at: KUNI, 9 nm away ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20120720016109A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20120720016109A), Jul 20, 2012: Just ESCAPADE, Rutland, OH, Destroyed, 1 fatal. The pilot had a new viking honda engine installed in the aircraft on February 7, 2011 as documented in his pilot log book. The pilot did not anticipate the… ## Docket (9 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 29, 2013, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=84388. 12.0 MB in all. - Photo 2: Wreckage side view (FAA photo) (item 1, .PDF, 3.1 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40390310&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%202%3A%20Wreckage%20side%20view%20(FAA%20photo)-Master.PDF - Photo 3: Header tank (FAA photo) (item 2, .PDF, 3.1 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40390312&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%203%3A%20Header%20tank%20(FAA%20photo)-Master.PDF - Other Pertinent Forms and Reports: GPS data overlays (item 3, .PDF, 4 photos, 2.1 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40390319&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Other%20Pertinent%20Forms%20and%20Reports%3A%20GPS%20data%20overlays-Master.PDF - Correspondence: Record of conversations with engine manufacturer (item 4, .PDF, 26 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40390321&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Correspondence%3A%20Record%20of%20conversations%20with%20engine%20manufacturer-Master.PDF - Correspondence: Record of conversation with FAA inspectors (item 5, .PDF, 72 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40390324&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Correspondence%3A%20Record%20of%20conversation%20with%20FAA%20inspectors-Master.PDF - Toxicological Report (item 6, .PDF, 113 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40390326&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Toxicological%20Report-Master.PDF - Miscellaneous: CAMI's drug information (item 7, .PDF, 26 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40390417&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Miscellaneous%3A%20CAMI%27s%20drug%20information-Master.PDF - Miscellaneous: Weather resources (item 8, .PDF, 3.5 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40390419&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Miscellaneous%3A%20Weather%20resources-Master.PDF - Miscellaneous: Excerpt from 14 CFR 91 (item 9, .PDF, 50 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40390950&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Miscellaneous%3A%20Excerpt%20from%2014%20CFR%2091-Master.PDF From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.