# NTSB CEN13LA428: Cooper, David W. Challenger II, N1519, Mill Creek, IN, July 21, 2013 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Fatal · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: July 21, 2013, 07:00 local (11:00 UTC) - Place: Mill Creek, IN - Coordinates: 41.580554, -86.53083 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=41.5806&lon=-86.5308&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Enroute-cruise: Fuel exhaustion](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/192) - Highest injury: Fatal - Injuries: 1 fatal - Status: Completed, report March 17, 2015 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Central Region - Parties: FAA- South Bend FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 87547 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN13LA428 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/87547/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=87547 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN13LA428 ## Probable cause The noncertificated pilot's improper fuel planning, which led to fuel exhaustion and a loss of engine power. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's failure to obtain adequate instruction or an endorsement to solo in the accident airplane model, which led to his loss of airplane control during the forced landing. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Planning/preparation: fuel planning](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061030): Personnel issues › Task performance · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Cooper David W CHALLENGER II, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061030/cases.md?model=05631A5), [All aircraft, 719 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061030/cases.md) - [Experience/qualifications: total experience](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02031015): Personnel issues › Experience/knowledge · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Cooper David W CHALLENGER II, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02031015/cases.md?model=05631A5), [All aircraft, 126 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02031015/cases.md) - [Fluids: fuel](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010): Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware · Fluid level (probable cause); cases with it: [Cooper David W CHALLENGER II, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010/cases.md?model=05631A5), [All aircraft, 1,695 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010/cases.md) - [Use of equip/info: aircraft control](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040): Personnel issues › Task performance · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Cooper David W CHALLENGER II, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/cases.md?model=05631A5), [All aircraft, 9,295 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Enroute-cruise: Fuel exhaustion](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/192) (defining event); cases with it: [Cooper David W CHALLENGER II, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/192/sequence.md?model=05631A5), [All aircraft, 804 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/192/sequence.md) - [Enroute-cruise: Loss of control in flight](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240); cases with it: [Cooper David W CHALLENGER II, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240/sequence.md?model=05631A5), [All aircraft, 5,002 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240/sequence.md) - [Enroute-cruise: Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT) ](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470); cases with it: [Cooper David W CHALLENGER II, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md?model=05631A5), [All aircraft, 10,189 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md) ## Analysis The accident airplane and another airplane were en route to an airport as a flight of two airplanes. When the accident airplane did not arrive at the destination airport, a search was conducted, and it was subsequently found in a cornfield. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the fuel tank and carburetor fuel bowls were empty. No evidence of fuel spillage was found at the accident site. Examination did not reveal any evidence of preimpact mechanical anomalies. The pilot did not hold a pilot certificate but had received flight training. He had an instructor's solo endorsement and had soloed; however, he had not received instruction or an endorsement to solo in the accident airplane model. Based on the available evidence, it is likely that the airplane's fuel supply was exhausted, which resulted in a loss of engine power. Subsequently, the pilot lost control of the airplane during the ensuing forced landing due to his limited experience in the airplane model. ## Factual narrative On July 21, 2013, about 0700 eastern daylight time, an amateur-built Cooper Challenger II airplane, N1519, impacted terrain near Mill Creek, Indiana. The non-certificated pilot was fatally injured and the airplane was substantially damaged. The aircraft was registered to and operated by the pilot under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight, which operated without a flight plan. The flight originated from the Jerry Tyler Memorial Airport (3TR), Niles, Michigan, about 0630 and was en route to the Plymouth Municipal Airport (C65), Plymouth, Indiana. The airplane departed 3TR along with another airplane en route to C65. When the accident airplane did not arrive at C65, a search was conducted and the airplane was found in a corn field near Mill Creek Indiana. There were no known witnesses to the accident. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that there was no fuel in the fuel tank and no fuel was found in the carburetor bowl. No evidence of a fuel spill was detected at the accident site. Further examination of the airplane did not reveal any pre-impact anomalies. The pilot held a second class medical certificate issue on March 27, 2013. The limitations section of the medical certificate noted that the pilot must wear corrective lenses. There was no record of the pilot having been issued a pilot certificate by the Federal Aviation Administration. A pilot flight logbook was recovered and indicated that the pilot had received flight training in Cessna 172 airplanes between March 14, 2013 and April 27, 2013. During that time the pilot had accumulated 14.1 hours of flight time in Cessna 172 airplanes and had soloed a Cessna 172 airplane on March 30, 2013. The logbook also indicated that the pilot had flown the accident airplane about 11 hours between May 5, 2013, and May 25, 2013. The May 25, 2013 entry was the most recent completed entry in the logbook. The logbook contained an instructor's endorsement for solo operations in Cessna 172 airplanes, but no endorsement for solo operation in the accident airplane was found. There were no logged flights indicating that the pilot had received any flight training in the accident airplane or in a like model airplane. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N1519](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N1519-2018-02-28), registration cancelled 2018-02-28, S/N C08292011, built 2012 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: COOPER, DAVID W. CHALLENGER II - Registry model: [Cooper David W CHALLENGER II](https://openairdocs.org/model/cooper-david-w-challenger-ii) (registry code 05631A5) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Rotax 447](https://openairdocs.org/engine/rotax-447) (registry code 55576, 2 cycle) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane, amateur-built - Serial number: C08292011 - Engines: Rotax 447 50 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Destroyed - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Airworthiness certificate: Special, Experimental (Special) - Departed: 3TR, Niles, MI - Destination: C65, Plymouth, IN ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 36; injuries: fatal; medical: class 2, with waivers/limitations; seat: front; toxicology performed; flight hours: 40 total ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: calm - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 63 °F, dew point 61 °F - Altimeter: 29.95 inHg - Observed at: PPO, 8 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 20130721012279A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20130721012279A), Jul 21, 2013: Cooper David W CHALLENGER II, Laporte, IN, Destroyed, 1 fatal. Appears that this aircraft did a stall/ spin and impacted the ground with the engine not operating. Exam of the engine noted rotation and compression o.k.… ## Docket (3 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 29, 2015, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=87547. 1.5 MB in all. - Pilot logbook (item 1, .PDF, 1.4 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40421833&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%20logbook-Redacted.PDF - Record of conversation with FAA Inspector (item 2, .PDF, 53 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40421834&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Record%20of%20conversation%20with%20FAA%20Inspector-Master.PDF - Toxicological Report (item 3, .PDF, 113 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40421832&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Toxicological%20Report-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.