- Date
- June 3, 2016, 10:30 local (15:30 UTC)
- Place
- Alamo, TX
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N418DSSmith Capella FW2R
- Defining event
- Enroute: Fuel exhaustion
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 6, 2016
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20160603008549A
- Case key
- 93314
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 total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion, which resulted in a forced landing and a collision with a tree.
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 the purpose of the flight was to use most of the fuel remaining in the fuel tanks so that he could store the airplane over the summer. While returning to the airport, the engine experienced a total loss of power. During the subsequent forced landing to a small field, the airplane hit a tree, resulting in substantial damage. The pilot stated that when the airplane was recovered, both fuel tanks were empty.
Factual narrative
On June 3, 2016, about 1030 central daylight time, a Smith Capella Aircraft FW2R/XLS airplane, N418DS, was substantially damaged during a forced landing near Alamo, Texas. The commercial pilot had minor injuries. The airplane was registered to and operated by a private individual under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The local flight departed McAllen Miller International Airport (MFE), McAllen, Texas, about 0900, and was returning to MFE at the time of the accident. According to the pilot, the purpose of the flight was to use most of the fuel in the airplane, as he was going to park the airplane over the summer. In the past the automotive gasoline had "gummed up" his system sitting in the heat over the summer. The pilot flew to South Texas International Airport (EBG), Edinburg, Texas, landed, called his wife, departed and conducted a touch and go landing, and then returned to MFE. EBG was 17 miles north of MFE. The airplane was at 2,500 feet above ground level and about 8 miles from the airport when the engine lost power. The pilot continued to fly the airplane towards the airport looking for a place to land while attempting to restore engine power. As he approached the airport his options diminished and during the forced landing to a small field the airplane hit a tree resulting in substantial damage to the wings and fuselage of the airplane. The pilot stated that when the airplane was recovered, both fuel tanks were empty. He stated that he was confident that he just ran out of fuel resulting in the loss of engine power.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N418DS
- Reported as
- Smith Capella FW2R (XLS)
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- DS4
- Built
- 1999
- Airframe hours
- 296
- Engine
- Rotax 912UL, 80 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · November 14, 2015
- Departed
- KMFE · McAllen, TX
- Destination
- KMPE · McAllen, TX
- Equipment
- None
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
- 98
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine sea, Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Medical
- Sport pilot
- Last flight review
- May 4, 2016
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 13,000 total · 300 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 72 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.88 inHg
- Observed at
- KMFE
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 30, 2016, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 971 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.