- Date
- January 9, 2007, 11:08 local (16:08 UTC)
- Place
- Edinburg, OH
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N54DTBarron Thorp T18
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 26, 2007
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration - Cleveland FSDO
- FAA report
- 20070109002309A
- Case key
- 65217
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 improper in-flight decision not to refuel prior to fuel exhaustion. A factor to the accident was the tree line that the airplane impacted during the forced landing.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The airplane impacted trees and terrain during a forced landing following a loss of engine power during approach. The pilot stated that the airplane lost engine power due to "a depletion of fuel." The pilot attempted to land in a plowed field but reported not having sufficient altitude to clear trees at the field's edge. The pilot stated that he "stalled the airplane into the top of the trees." The pilot reported the airplane then fell approximately forty feet to the ground in a nose down attitude. Inspection of airplane revealed that the fuel system did not contain any remaining usable fuel. The fuel system was intact and no fuel smell was noted at the accident site. The pilot reported that the accident flight was three hours and eight minutes in duration. The pilot stated that the airplane had 29 gallons of fuel on board at departure. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident.
Factual narrative
The airplane impacted trees and terrain during a forced landing following a loss of engine power during approach. The pilot stated that the airplane lost engine power due to "a depletion of fuel." The pilot attempted to land in a plowed field but reported not having sufficient altitude to clear trees at the field's edge. The pilot stated that he "stalled the airplane into the top of the trees." The pilot reported the airplane then fell approximately forty feet to the ground in a nose down attitude. Inspection of airplane revealed that the fuel system did not contain any remaining usable fuel. The fuel system was intact and no fuel smell was noted at the accident site. The pilot reported that the accident flight was three hours and eight minutes in duration. The pilot stated that the airplane had 29 gallons of fuel on board at departure. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N54DT
- Reported as
- Barron Thorp T18
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 2
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-320, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Departed
- SOP · Southern Pines, NC
- Destination
- 29G · Ravenna, OH
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- 29G · Portage County Airport
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
- 56
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- February 1, 2005
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 3,354 total · 18 in this make and model · 3,202 as pilot in command · 7 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 280° at 11 knots
- Visibility
- 8 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,600 ft broken
- Temperature
- 32 °F, dew point 37 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.82 inHg
- Observed at
- CAK, 20 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.