# NTSB CEN18LA085: Quartz Mountain Aerospace L-11E, N515BW, Omaha, NE, January 24, 2018 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: January 24, 2018, 14:18 local (20:18 UTC) - Place: Omaha, NE - Coordinates: 41.196109, -96.11222 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=41.1961&lon=-96.1122&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Approach](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/500) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Approach: Loss of engine power (total)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 2 uninjured - Status: Completed, report February 5, 2019 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Central Region - Parties: FAA Flight Standards District Office - NTSB case key (mKey): 96653 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN18LA085 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/96653/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=96653 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN18LA085 ## Probable cause The instructor pilot’s inadequate preflight fuel planning, which resulted in fuel exhaustion and a total loss of engine power. ## 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 level (probable cause); cases with it: [Quartz Mountain Aerospace 11E, 3 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010/cases.md?model=7320100), [All aircraft, 1,695 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010/cases.md) - [Fluids: fuel](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010): Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware · Not inspected (probable cause); cases with it: [Quartz Mountain Aerospace 11E, 3 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010/cases.md?model=7320100), [All aircraft, 1,695 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010/cases.md) - [Inspection: preflight inspection](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061510): Personnel issues › Task performance · Instructor/check pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Quartz Mountain Aerospace 11E, 2 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061510/cases.md?model=7320100), [All aircraft, 551 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061510/cases.md) - [Info processing/decision: identification/recognition](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041510): Personnel issues › Action/decision · Instructor/check pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Quartz Mountain Aerospace 11E, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041510/cases.md?model=7320100), [All aircraft, 559 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041510/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Approach: Loss of engine power (total)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341) (defining event); cases with it: [Quartz Mountain Aerospace 11E, 3 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341/sequence.md?model=7320100), [All aircraft, 3,820 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341/sequence.md) - [Emergency descent: Off-field or emergency landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440); cases with it: [Quartz Mountain Aerospace 11E, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440/sequence.md?model=7320100), [All aircraft, 3,365 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440/sequence.md) - [Landing: Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT) ](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470); cases with it: [Quartz Mountain Aerospace 11E, 2 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md?model=7320100), [All aircraft, 10,189 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md) ## Analysis During an instructional flight, the two pilots—an airline transport pilot giving instruction and a commercial pilot receiving instruction—flew to two airports and made an instrument approach at each airport. Upon returning to the pilots' home airport and while on another instrument approach, the engine lost all power. The pilot giving instruction assumed control of the airplane and made a forced landing in a school baseball field. During the forced landing, the airplane struck trees and a fence, causing substantial damage to a wing spar. During a postaccident examination, a total of ½ gallon of fuel was drained from both tanks. The airplane's fuel capacity was 42 gallons, of which 40 gallons was usable. The airplane had been serviced with fuel several days before the accident, and the service technician estimated that 34 gallons of fuel was on board the airplane at the beginning of the accident flight. The pilot giving instruction reported that he had visually verified that the airplane was "full of fuel" before the flight, and he expected that there would be enough fuel for 4 hours of flight. The pilot giving instruction planned 3 hours of flight time, and the airplane's Hobbs meter indicated 3.1 hours of flight time. ## Factual narrative On January 24, 2018, at 1418 central standard time, a Quartz Mountain Aerospace (Luscombe) 11E, N515BW, struck trees and a fence during a forced landing following a total loss of engine power in Omaha, Nebraska. The certificated airline transport flight instructor and certificated commercial flight instructor receiving instruction were not injured. The airplane sustained substantial damage. The rental airplane was registered to and operated by Oracle Aviation, LLC, Omaha, Nebraska, and operated under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as an instructional flight. Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan had been filed. The flight originated from Millard Airport (MLE), about 1100. According to the instructor's accident report, the airplane was full of fuel (verified visually), which should have provided about four hours of flight time. The planned flight time was 3 hours. They flew to Wayne Municipal Airport (LCG), Wayne, Nebraska, and Central Nebraska Regional Airport (GRI), Grand Island Nebraska, where they made an instrument approach at each airport before returning to MLE. The airplane was on the GPS (Global Positioning System runway) 12 instrument approach, about 5.3 miles from MLE, when the engine lost power. Following the emergency checklist, the engine regained power for about 10 seconds. The instructor assumed control and made a forced landing in a school baseball field near a road intersection. During the forced landing, the airplane struck trees and a fence, causing damage to a wing spar. The airplane was towed back to MLE where Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspectors from the Lincoln, Nebraska, Flight Standards District Office (FSDO) examined the airplane. They drained a total of ½-gallon of fuel from both tanks. Both the tachometer and Hobbs meter indicated a flight duration of 3.1 hours. The instructor noted that a similar incident occurred about two weeks earlier. In that case, the pilots were able to land at the airport. No determination was made as to why the engine lost power, but the instructor surmised that either the tanks did not hold 42 gallons, or the engine was consuming a "significantly greater amount" of fuel. According to the service technician, when he serviced the airplane a few days before the accident, and it was not full of fuel. He added fuel to a level "just above the tab portion" of the fuel neck. Using another similar airplane, the technician demonstrated to FAA inspectors how he fueled the airplane to his customary level. He then added 6 additional gallons (3 gallons per tank) to reach the full level. It was estimated about 34 gallons of fuel was on board the airplane. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N515BW](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N515BW-2018-08-07), registration cancelled 2018-08-07, S/N 1006, built 2008 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: QUARTZ MOUNTAIN AEROSPACE L-11E - Registry model: [Quartz Mountain Aerospace 11E](https://openairdocs.org/model/quartz-mountain-aerospace-11e) (registry code 7320100) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Continental IO-360-ES](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-io-360-es) (registry code 17160, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 1006 - Year built: 2008 - Airframe hours: 276 - Engines: Continental IO-360-ES 185 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Instructional, Part 91 - Operator: Oracle Aviation, LLC - Registered owner: Oracle Aviation, LLC - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, December 21, 2017 - Departed: MLE, Omaha, NE - Destination: MLE, Omaha, NE - Flight plan: IFR - Airport: MLE, Millard, runway 12, 3,801 × 75 ft, grass/turf - Equipment: None ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Flight instructor; age 68; injuries: none; commercial, airline transport; airplane ratings: single-engine sea, multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 2, with waivers/limitations; last flight review December 5, 2017; seat: right; restraint: 3-point; flight hours: 16,046 total, 60 in this make and model, 13,400 as pilot in command, 30 in the last 90 days, 10 in the last 30 days - Pilot; age 26; injuries: none; flight instructor, private, commercial; airplane ratings: single-engine land; instrument ratings: helicopter; medical: class 1, without waivers/limitations; last flight review November 3, 2016; seat: left; restraint: 3-point; flight hours: 1,420 total, 7 in this make and model, 1,337 as pilot in command, 30 in the last 90 days ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 140° at 5 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 37 °F, dew point 28 °F - Altimeter: 30.21 inHg - Observed at: MLE ## 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 20180124006139A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20180124006139A), Jan 24, 2018: Quartz Mountain Aerospace Inc 11E, Omaha, NE, Substantial damage. On January 24, 2018, approximately 1418 central standard time, a Quartz Mountain Aerospace Inc. Luscombe 11E was substantially damaged while making an… ## Docket (3 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 28, 2018, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=96653. 580 KB in all. - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 179 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40466059&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Master.PDF - FAA Inspector's Statement (item 2, .PDF, 99 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40466060&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=FAA%20Inspector%27s%20Statement-Master.PDF - Report Photos (item 3, .PDF, 4 photos, 302 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40466061&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Report%20Photos-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.