# NTSB CEN23LA018: Sea Ray LSX, N17TS, Lago Vista, TX, October 23, 2022 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Class 3 · Limited · Final report - Date: October 23, 2022, 13:00 local (18:00 UTC) - Place: Lago Vista, TX - Coordinates: 30.4602, -97.9883 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=30.4602&lon=-97.9883&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Enroute: Fuel starvation](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/191) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed - Report: Approved by Office Director - Investigation class: Class 3 - NTSB office: Central Region - Parties: FAA FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 106191 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN23LA018 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/106191/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=106191 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN23LA018 ## Probable cause The pilot’s inadequate fuel planning and improper in-flight decision making which resulted in a low fuel status and a loss of engine power due to fuel starvation. ## 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: [Scott Terry G SEAREY LSX, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061030/cases.md?model=056314U), [All aircraft, 719 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061030/cases.md) - [Fluids: fuel](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010): Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware · Fluid management (probable cause); cases with it: [Scott Terry G SEAREY LSX, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010/cases.md?model=056314U), [All aircraft, 1,695 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Enroute: Fuel starvation](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/191) (defining event); cases with it: [Scott Terry G SEAREY LSX, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/191/sequence.md?model=056314U), [All aircraft, 733 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/191/sequence.md) ## Analysis While on a final approach for the runway, the pilot reported that the engine sputtered momentarily and then stopped running. The pilot attempted to restart the engine but was unsuccessful. Unable to make it to the runway, he performed a forced landing into dense trees and the airplane collided with terrain. The fuselage and left wing sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that after the accident he drained about 3 gallons of fuel from the fuel tank. However, the airplane was not examined until three days after the accident occurred, so this could not be verified. Three gallons of fuel in the tank would have placed the fuel just above the fuel inlet on the fuel tank. The flight time for the flight was estimated over 3 hours and 30 minutes, not including a flight the day before the accident. The airplane would have consumed over 17.5 gallons of fuel from the estimated 25-gallon fuel tank on the day of the accident based on an estimated fuel burn rate of 5 gallons per hour. After the accident, fuel was added, and the engine started without hesitation and ran at various power settings without any anomalies. It is likely that the low fuel state unported the fuel from the fuel inlet which resulted in a loss of engine power due to fuel starvation. ## Factual narrative On October 23, 2022, about 1300 central daylight time, an Sea Rey LSX airplane, N17TS, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Lago Vista, Texas. The pilot was not injured. The airplane was operated under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. According to pilot, he departed from the Flying M Ranch Airport (7TA7), Reklaw, Texas, about 0900 and flew to Cherokee County Airport (JSO), Jacksonville, Texas. The pilot reported that he added 12.5 gallons of fuel to top off his 25-gallon fuel tank. The pilot further stated he departed JSO and flew west to the destination airport, Rusty Williams Airport (RYW), Lago Vista, Texas. The pilot reported that, while on final approach for runway 15 at RYW, the engine sputtered momentarily and stopped running. The pilot attempted to restart the engine but was unsuccessful. Unable to reach the runway, he performed a forced landing into a dense tree line, which resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage and left wing. Automated Dependent Surveillance – Broadcast (ADS-B) data showed that the airplane departed 7TA7 about 0915 and overflew JSO without landing. No fuel receipts were provided by the pilot, and there was no record of the pilot fueling on the day of the accident at JSO. A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector conducted the on-site examination three days after the accident and documented the wreckage and engine. Both carburetors had clean fuel in their bowls and about .23 gallons of fuel was recovered. No anomalies were detected with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation. Fuel was added, and the engine started without hesitation and ran at various power settings without any anomalies. According to the FAA, the pilot reportedly drained the fuel tank in preparation for moving the airplane and the pilot estimated that 3 gallons of fuel was recovered. However, the FAA inspectors found the container to be empty. The pilot reported that the container leaked all recovered fuel. The airplane was equipped with a fuel tank of the builder’s design with a total capacity of about 25 gallons. The unusable fuel amount could not be determined. However, postaccident examination of the fuel tank found that with 3 gallons of fuel in the tank, the fuel would have been just above the fuel inlet during approach. Average fuel consumption at 75% power was estimated at 5 gallons per hour. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N17TS](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N17TS), registered now, S/N 1LK539C, built 2013 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Sea Ray LSX - Registry model: [Scott Terry G SEAREY LSX](https://openairdocs.org/model/scott-terry-g-searey-lsx) (registry code 056314U) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Rotax 912ULS2](https://openairdocs.org/engine/rotax-912uls2) (registry code 55599, 4 cycle) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane, amateur-built - Serial number: 1LK539C - Year built: 2013 - Engines: Rotax 912 ULS2 100 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Operator: Boat Plane LLC - Registered owner: Boat Plane LLC - Airworthiness certificate: Special, Experimental (Special) - Last inspection: 100 hour, April 16, 2022, 600 hours before - Departed: 7TA7, Reklaw, TX - Destination: RYW, Lago Vista, TX - Airport: RYW, Lago Vista Tx - Rusty Allen - Equipment: Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Angle of attack indicator, ADS-B, Stall warning system, Electronic primary flight display ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 57; injuries: none; private, commercial; airplane ratings: single-engine land, single-engine sea; instrument ratings: helicopter; medical: class 2, without waivers/limitations; last flight review October 23, 2021; seat: left; restraint: 3-point; flight hours: 1,481 total, 623 in this make and model, 1,315 as pilot in command, 65 in the last 90 days, 24 in the last 30 days, 5 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 190° at 15 knots, gusting 21 - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Temperature: 81 °F, dew point 61 °F - Altimeter: 29.90 inHg - Observed at: KRYW, 3 nm away - METAR: KRYW 231755Z AUTO 19015G21KT 10SM SCT044 27/16 A2990 RMK AO2 T02670156 10269 20206= ## 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 20221023019579A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20221023019579A), Oct 23, 2022: Scott Terry G SEAREY LSX, Lago Vista, TX, Substantial damage. Pilot was returning from flying m ranch (7TA7) VFR direct. After a descent from cruising altitude the pilot joined the left base leg of runway 15 at Lago Vista… ## Docket (8 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 28, 2024, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=106191. 29.5 MB in all. - Pilot/operator aircraft accident report, NTSB form 6120.1 (item 1, PDF, 11 pages, 2.2 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=15659975&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=NSTB%20Form%206120.1%20redacted_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Photo array CEN23LA018 (item 2, PDF, 2 pages, 2.2 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=15263156&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Photo%20Array-Rel.pdf - Accident flight ADS-B track map (item 3, PDF, 2 pages, 2.7 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=15691499&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Accident%20Flight%20ADS-B%20Track-Rel.pdf - ADS-B raw data - kml file (item 4, KMZ, 684 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=15696794&FileExtension=kmz&FileName=20221023_A1188E_498817741-Rel.kmz - ADS-B raw data - excel table (item 5, XLSX, 20.9 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=15695730&FileExtension=xlsx&FileName=20221023_A1188E_498817741_ADSB-Rel.xlsx - Memorandum for record a�� FAA email summary (item 6, PDF, 2 pages, 71 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=15696594&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=FAA%20Email%20Summary-Rel.pdf - Memorandum for record engine examination summary (item 7, PDF, 1 page, 67 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=15696543&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=MFR%20Engine-Rel.pdf - Memorandum for record a�� fuel tank (item 8, PDF, 3 pages, 667 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=16854430&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Fuel%20Tank%20Diagram%20%26%20Example-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. --- 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.