# NTSB DEN04LA001: Elliott Mustang II, N9XQ, Cedar City, UT, October 1, 2003 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: October 1, 2003, 12:55 local (18:55 UTC) - Place: Cedar City, UT - Coordinates: 37.70111, -113.098609 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=37.7011&lon=-113.0986&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report March 2, 2004 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: Federal Aviation Administration - NTSB case key (mKey): 58068 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=DEN04LA001 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/58068/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DEN04LA001 ## Probable cause The pilot's inadequate preflight planning/preparation which led to fuel exhaustion and subsequent loss of engine power. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Loss of engine power(total) - nonmechanical, descent - preflight planning/preparation - inadequate, pilot in command (cause) - fluid,fuel - exhaustion (contributing factor) - Forced landing, emergency descent/landing - emergency procedure - attempted, pilot in command - In flight collision with terrain/water, emergency descent/landing - terrain condition - roadway/highway ## Analysis The pilot reported that he had just begun his descent when the airplane's engine suddenly lost power. The pilot attempted a restart without success. He said he declared an emergency, and established a best glide speed. The pilot set up for a forced landing to a state highway. He said he set "full flap" and "let the airplane stall at about 25-30 [feet], which resulted in a sudden drop ..." The airplane impacted on the road. The landing gear collapsed and the airplane slid on the road, substantially damaging both wings and the forward fuselage. The airplane came to a stop within 200 feet of its initial impact point. The pilot said he fueled the 28 gallon tank to full before leaving on his trip. The pilot reported that since the refueling he had flown a total of 2 hours and 20 minutes. The pilot said that the airplane's engine burns approximately 8 to 8-1/2 gallons per hour. An examination of the fuel tanks, lines, sump, and fuel filter showed no evidence of fuel. No other anomalies with the airplane were found. ## Factual narrative On October 1, 2003, at approximately 1255 mountain daylight time, an Elliott Mustang II, N9XQ, was substantially damaged when it impacted on a road during a forced landing, following a loss of engine power, 5 miles east of Cedar City, Utah. The private pilot, the sole person on board the airplane, reported no injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The personal flight was being conducted under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91 without a flight plan. The cross-country flight originated at Monument Valley, Arizona, at 1200, and was en route to the pilot's private airstrip near Cedar City. The pilot reported that he had just begun his descent into Cedar City when the airplane's engine suddenly quit. The pilot attempted a restart without success. He said he called Cedar City Flight Service, declared an emergency, and established best glide speed. The pilot set up for a forced landing on Utah State Highway 14. He said he set "full flap" and "let the airplane stall at about 25-30 [feet], which resulted in a sudden drop ..." The airplane impacted on the road. The landing gear collapsed and the airplane slid on the road, coming to a stop within 200 feet of its initial impact point. The pilot stated he had fully fueled the airplane at Cedar City before flying to Monument Valley. He said the fuel tank held 28 gallons The pilot said the trip to Monument Valley takes about an hour and the airplane's engine burns approximately 8 to 8-1/2 gallons per hour. The pilot said he had flown about 2 hours and 20 minutes since the fueling, when the engine quit. The airplane was examined at the accident site. It rested upright on the right edge of the highway, up against a rock face. The lower cowling and bottom of the fuselage at the cockpit area were crushed upward. The upper cowling was buckled outward. The left wing was crushed upward. The outboard-third of the left wing was bent upward approximately 70 degrees. The outboard section of the right wing was bent and broken upward and aft. The landing gear legs were broken out. One of the three propeller blades was broken aft. Flight control continuity was confirmed. An examination of the fuel tanks, lines, sump, and fuel filter showed no evidence of fuel. No other anomalies with the airplane were found. The pilot did not return the Safety Board Form 6120.1/2. The pilot did provide a written statement and copies of his pilot and airplane records. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N9XQ](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N9XQ-2009-06-22), registration cancelled 2009-06-22, S/N 1684, built 2000 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Elliott Mustang II - Registry model: [Elliott Lynn E MUSTANG II](https://openairdocs.org/model/elliott-lynn-e-mustang-ii) (registry code 056097O) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming I0360 SER A&C](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-i0360-ser-a-c) (registry code 41511, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane, amateur-built - Serial number: 1684 - Airframe hours: 132 - Engines: Lycoming IO-360 200 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Registered owner: Lynne E. Elliott - Airworthiness certificate: Special, Experimental (Special) - Last inspection: Annual, November 16, 2002, 48 hours before - Departed: Monument Valley, AZ - Destination: CDC, Cedar City, UT ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 59; injuries: none; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; medical: class 3; last flight review November 30, 2001; seat: left; flight hours: 1,175 total, 84 in this make and model, 1 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 210° at 20 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 81 °F, dew point 36 °F - Altimeter: 30.21 inHg - Observed at: CDC, 5 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 (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20031001025049A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20031001025049A), Oct 1, 2003: Amtr MUSTANG2, Cedar City, UT, Substantial damage. (-23) Pilot reported that during descent into Cedar City ut at approx. 9500 ft. that the engine quit. Restart was attempted but was unsuccessful, he declared… 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.