- Date
- September 29, 2017, 12:30 local (17:30 UTC)
- Place
- Itasca, TX
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N712RLVans RV7
- Defining event
- Enroute-cruise: Fuel exhaustion
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 11, 2018
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- Flight Standards District Office
- FAA report
- 20170929016079A
- Case key
- 96125
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 inadequate preflight planning and improper in-flight decision-making, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.
Findings · 4
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, during his preflight inspection, he perceived that both fuel tanks were full. Based on previous flights, full fuel tanks allowed for about 5 hours of flight endurance. About 4 hours after departure, the pilot noticed a low fuel quantity on the cockpit gauges but continued the flight toward the planned destination airport. Several minutes later, the engine lost power, and the pilot performed a forced landing to a field. The airplane impacted a power line and nosed over, which resulted in substantial damage to the right wing and fuselage. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the fuel tanks contained no usable fuel. Following the accident, the pilot stated he should have landed earlier to refuel. He also discovered that a co-owner had not filled the fuel tanks after the previous flight, as he had expected.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that during his preflight inspection, he perceived both fuel tanks were full. Based on previous flights, full fuel tanks allowed for about five hours of endurance. About four hours after departure, the pilot noticed a low fuel quantity on cockpit gages, but continued the flight toward the planned destination airport. Several minutes later, the engine lost power and the pilot performed a forced landing to a field. The airplane impacted a power line and nosed-over, resulting in substantial damage to the right wing and fuselage. Postaccident examination revealed the airplane fuel tanks contained no useable fuel. Following the accident, the pilot stated he should have landed earlier to refuel. He also discovered that a co-owner had not filled the fuel tanks after the previous flight, as he expected.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N712RL
- Reported as
- Vans RV7 (A)
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 71000
- Built
- 2004
- Airframe hours
- 997
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360A1A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 8, 2016 · 134 hours before
- Departed
- LMO · Longmont, CO
- Destination
- INJ · Hillsboro, TX
- Equipment
- Handheld GPS, Auto-pilot
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 57
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 31, 2016
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 1,194 total · 109 in this make and model · 1,091 as pilot in command · 72 in the last 90 days · 15 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 360° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 5,500 ft broken
- Temperature
- 68 °F, dew point 64 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.15 inHg
- Observed at
- KINJ, 3 nm away
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 4, 2017, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.8 MB 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.