# NTSB CEN21LA250: Vans RV9, N20YY, West Portsmouth, OH, June 4, 2021

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · Minor injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report
- Date: June 4, 2021, 18:45 local (22:45 UTC)
- Place: West Portsmouth, OH
- Coordinates: 38.791468, -83.014358 (estimated)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=38.7915&lon=-83.0144&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Initial climb](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/350) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Defining event: [Initial climb: Fuel starvation](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/191)
- Highest injury: Minor injuries
- Injuries: 1 minor, 1 uninjured
- Status: Completed
- Report: Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class: Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office: Central Region
- Parties: FAA FSDO
- NTSB case key (mKey): 103214
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN21LA250
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/103214/pdf
- NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=103214
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN21LA250

## Probable cause

The pilot’s improper use of the airplane’s fuel system, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation.

## 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: [Stites Robert RV-9A, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010/cases.md?model=05621II), [All aircraft, 1,695 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010/cases.md)
- [Terrain](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03021000): Environmental issues › Physical environment · Contributed to outcome; cases with it: [Stites Robert RV-9A, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03021000/cases.md?model=05621II), [All aircraft, 267 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03021000/cases.md)
- [Knowledge: knowledge of equipment](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02032015): Personnel issues › Experience/knowledge · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Stites Robert RV-9A, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02032015/cases.md?model=05621II), [All aircraft, 69 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02032015/cases.md)

## Sequence of events

The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened.

- [Initial climb: Fuel starvation](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/191) (defining event); cases with it: [Stites Robert RV-9A, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/191/sequence.md?model=05621II), [All aircraft, 733 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/191/sequence.md)
- [Initial climb: Loss of engine power (total)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341); cases with it: [Stites Robert RV-9A, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341/sequence.md?model=05621II), [All aircraft, 3,820 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341/sequence.md)
- [Landing-flare/touchdown: Off-field or emergency landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440); cases with it: [Stites Robert RV-9A, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440/sequence.md?model=05621II), [All aircraft, 3,365 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440/sequence.md)

## Analysis

The pilot reported he’d taken off and was about 10 minutes from the airport when the airplane’s engine lost power and began to descend. The pilot misdiagnosed the power loss as an electronic ignition problem and troubleshot it as such. However, after turning on the electric fuel pump and switching fuel tanks several times, the pilot was unable to restore engine power and elected to perform a forced landing to a field. During the forced landing the airplane nosed over and came to rest inverted. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the rudder. Federal Aviation Administration inspectors reported that during a postaccident examination of the airplane the right fuel tank was empty, and the left fuel tank had about 4 gallons of fuel. The fuel selector had the right fuel tank selected. No other mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane were found that would have precluded normal operations. The pilot reported he spoke with the previous owner and was unaware that when switching fuel tanks, it could take about 10 seconds for the new tank to pick up fuel. The pilot reported that he had never run a fuel tank empty and was not familiar with how the engine would respond, and how long it would take for fuel to return to the engine when another fuel tank was selected.

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N20YY](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N20YY), registered now, S/N 90778, built 2006 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: VANS RV9 (A)
- Registry model: [Stites Robert RV-9A](https://openairdocs.org/model/stites-robert-rv-9a) (registry code 05621II) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: [Amateur-built UNKNOWN ENG](https://openairdocs.org/engine/amateur-built-unknown-eng) (registry code 99999) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number: 90778
- Year built: 2006
- Airframe hours: 971
- Engines: Continental Titan X-361-A1A 185 horsepower reciprocating
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Flight: Personal, Part 91
- Registered owner: Michels David A
- Airworthiness certificate: Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection: Condition, May 11, 2021, 15 hours before
- Departed: KPMH, Portsmouth, OH
- Destination: KFGX, Flemingsburg, KY
- Flight plan: VFR
- Airport: N/A
- Equipment: Stall warning system, Electronic primary flight display, Auto-pilot, ADS-B

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Pilot; age 43; injuries: none; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; medical: class 3, with waivers/limitations; last flight review September 14, 2020; seat: left; restraint: 3-point; flight hours: 276.5 total, 225 in this make and model, 276.5 as pilot in command, 24.6 in the last 90 days, 8 in the last 30 days, 3 in the last 24 hours

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day
- Wind: 280° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling: none
- Temperature: 82 °F, dew point 63 °F
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observed at: KDWU, 19 nm away
- METAR: KDWU 042256Z AUTO 28004KT 10SM CLR 28/17 A3000 RMK AO2 SLP155 T02780172

## Docket (2 files)

The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 22, 2021, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=103214. 5.7 MB in all.

- Pilot/operator aircraft accident report, NTSB form 6120.1 (item 1, PDF, 11 pages, 5.6 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=12687741&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=CEN21LA250%20NTSB%206120_Redacted-Rel.pdf
- Memorandum for record (item 2, PDF, 1 page, 116 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=12723549&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=MEMORANDUM%20FOR%20RECORD%20CEN21LA250-Rel.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.

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