# NTSB CEN12LA587: Aviat A-1, N49363, Rolla, ND, August 29, 2012 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: August 28, 2012, 19:00 local (Aug 29, 2012, 00:00 UTC) - Place: Rolla, ND - Coordinates: 48.883888, -99.618888 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=48.8839&lon=-99.6189&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Enroute-cruise: Loss of engine power (total)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 2 uninjured - Status: Completed, report September 12, 2013 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Central Region - Parties: FAA/FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 84853 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN12LA587 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/84853/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=84853 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN12LA587 ## Probable cause The pilot's failure to secure the right wing's fuel cap before the flight and to properly manage the available fuel supply during the flight, which resulted in a loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Fluids: fuel](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010): Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware · Fluid management (probable cause); cases with it: [Aviat A-1, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010/cases.md?model=2210302), [All aircraft, 1,695 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010/cases.md) - [Info processing/decision: decision making/judgment](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041520): Personnel issues › Action/decision · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Aviat A-1, 3 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041520/cases.md?model=2210302), [All aircraft, 3,098 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041520/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Enroute-cruise: Loss of engine power (total)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341) (defining event); cases with it: [Aviat A-1, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341/sequence.md?model=2210302), [All aircraft, 3,820 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341/sequence.md) - [Emergency descent: Loss of engine power (total)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341); cases with it: [Aviat A-1, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341/sequence.md?model=2210302), [All aircraft, 3,820 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341/sequence.md) - [Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/230); cases with it: [Aviat A-1, 6 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/230/sequence.md?model=2210302), [All aircraft, 4,585 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/230/sequence.md) ## Analysis The pilot stated that he self-fueled the airplane with 40 gallons of fuel before the cross-country flight. About 10 miles from his destination airport, the engine stopped producing power. The pilot made a forced landing to a field and flipped over. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed the right wing's fuel cap was missing and could not be located. The top of the wing area around the fuel cap and back toward the trailing edge was stained blue, which was consistent with fuel venting overboard. Examination of the left wing fuel tank revealed it was empty of fuel and less than 1 cup of fuel was drained from the right wing fuel tank. No mechanical malfunctions or anomalies were noted with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. ## Factual narrative On August 28, 2012, about 1850 central daylight time, N49363, an Aviat Inc A-1 Husky, sustained substantial damage when it nosed over during a forced landing to a field after a total loss of engine power near Rolla, North Dakota. The certificated commercial pilot and the passenger were not injured. No flight plan was filed for the cross country flight that departed Huron Regional Airport (HON) Huron, South Dakota, at 1430, and was destined for Rolla Municipal Airport (06D), Rolla, North Dakota. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal flight conducted under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. The pilot stated that he self-fueled the airplane before he departed with 40 gallons of fuel. The flight was uneventful until they were 10 miles south of the Rolla airport. The pilot said,"...the engine cut out, sputtered and quit and would not restart." He immediately turned into the wind and landed in a harvested wheat field. Upon touch down, he applied brakes to avoid a large pot hole. The airplane tipped up on its nose and slowly fell on to its back, which resulted in structural damage to the wing struts. An airframe and power plant mechanic recovered the airplane from the field. In a written statement, he said that the right wing's fuel cap was missing and could not be located. The top of the wing area around the fuel filler cap was stained blue back toward the trailing edge consistent with fuel venting overboard. The mechanic also said that when he removed both wings, there was no fuel in the left wing and less than a cup of fuel in the right wing. No other mechanical anomalies were noted with the airplane or engine. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N49363](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N49363), registered now, S/N 1234, built 1993 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: AVIAT INC A-1 - Registry model: [Aviat A-1](https://openairdocs.org/model/aviat-a-1) (registry code 2210302) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming O&VO-360 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-o-vo-360-series) (registry code 41514, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 1234 - Airframe hours: 1432.4 - Engines: LYCOMING O&VO-360 SER 180 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Operator: Airplane Inc - Registered owner: Airplane Inc - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, January 2, 2012 - Departed: HON, Huron, SD - Destination: Rolla, ND ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 37; injuries: none; commercial; airplane ratings: single-engine land; last flight review April 21, 2011; seat: left; flight hours: 3,680 total ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 140° at 7 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Temperature: 84 °F, dew point 61 °F - Altimeter: 29.94 inHg - Observed at: DVL, 55 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 20120828018159A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20120828018159A), Aug 28, 2012: Aviat Inc A-1, Rolla, ND, Substantial damage. Aircraft departed huron SD to Rolla ND about 4:00 pm CDT. About 10 miles south of Rolla the aircraft engine sputtered and quit the pilot made an emergency… ## Docket (3 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 31, 2013, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=84853. 146 KB in all. - Written Statement - Pilot (item 1, .PDF, 80 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40397767&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Written%20Statement%20-%20Pilot-Redacted.PDF - Written Statement - FAA Inspector (item 2, .PDF, 19 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40397768&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Written%20Statement%20-%20FAA%20Inspector-Master.PDF - Written Statement - Mechanic (item 3, .PDF, 46 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40397769&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Written%20Statement%20-%20Mechanic-Redacted.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.