- Date
- September 17, 1993, 09:50 local (14:50 UTC)
- Place
- Carbondale, IL
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N25DKKewley KR2
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 7, 1994
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19930917034809A
- Case key
- 9320
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
Improper planning/decision by the pilot, which resulted in fuel exhaustion due to lack of fuel.
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
There was a loss of engine power as the airplane was descending for an approach to land. Attempts to restart the engine were unsuccessful. After realizing that he would not be able to reach the airport, the pilot initiated a forced landing on a nearby field. According to an investigating officer from the sheriff's department, the pilot believed the engine stopped running because it was 'out of fuel.'
Factual narrative
On September 17, 1993, about 0950 central daylight time, a Kewley KR2 homebuilt airplane, N25DK, experienced a loss of engine power during descent and landed off-airport near Carbondale, Illinois. The airplane was substantially damaged during the forced landing. The solo private pilot reported minor injury. Visual meteorological conditions existed for the personal flight. The flight originated from Peru, Illinois about 0740 without a flight plan and operated under 14 CFR 91.
The pilot stated that while he was descending for an approach to land at Carbondale Airport, the airplane's engine sputtered once, ran for a few seconds, and then died. Attempts at restarting the engine were unsuccessful. The pilot elected to make a forced landing on a field after realizing that he would not be able to make the airport. Upon impact, the airplane's nose wheel collapsed and the prop broke off. The airplane flipped on its back before stopping.
According to the Investigating Officer from the Sheriff's Department, who was at the scene, the pilot stated that he believed the engine stopped running because it was out of fuel.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N25DK
- Reported as
- Kewley KR2
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 8287
- Airframe hours
- 48
- Engine
- Revmaster 2100D, 65 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- David A. Kewley
- Registered owner
- David Kewley
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 17, 1993 · 40 hours before
- Departed
- VYS · Peru, IL
- Destination
- MDH · IL
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
- 45
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 208 total · 34 in this make and model · 167 as pilot in command · 38 in the last 90 days · 18 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 30° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 64 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MDH, 3 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.