ERA10LA248

The pilot completed a preflight inspection of the airplane before taking off and flying to an airport 32 nautical miles (nm) away. There, he made a full stop landing, taxied back, and took off for another airport 16 nm away. Again, he made a full stop landing and taxied back, before taking off for his original departure airport. Just after takeoff, while the airplane was in the traffic pattern downwind leg, about 1000 feet, the engine sputtered twice and lost power. He then attempted to land on the runway, but the airplane landed short and the nose landing gear buckled. Subsequent examination of the airplane revealed that no fuel lines were compromised or blocked, that the fuel lines had little to no fuel in them, and that the gascolator was approximately half full of fuel. In addition, the fuel header tank was empty while the two wing tanks were almost full. The fuel tank shut-off valve, and the main fuel valve were found in the off position, but the pilot stated that he had turned off both upon evacuation of the airplane. He also stated that it was his practice to turn off the fuel tank shut-off valve after every flight. The fuel tank shut-off valve controlled fuel flow from the wing tanks to the header tank. With the lack of fuel found in the header tank, it was likely that the fuel tank shut-off valve had been in the off position for all three flights, which ultimately resulted in fuel starvation to the engine.

On April 28, 2010, at 1155 eastern daylight time, an Engineering and Research Corporation Ercoupe 415-C, N87172, was substantially damaged during a forced landing at LaGrange-Callaway Airport (LGC), LaGrange, Georgia. The certificated private pilot sustained minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. No flight plan had been filed for the local personal flight, which was conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. According to the pilot, he originally departed Newnan-Coweta Airport (CCO), Atlanta, Georgia. Prior to the departure, he added fuel to the airplane, resulting in a total of 7.5 gallons in the left wing tank and 8.5 gallons in the right wing tank. The subsequent preflight inspection was "normal," with no water or debris found in fuel samples from the wing tank sumps or gascolator. The pilot took off from CCO, and flew to Roanoke Municipal Airport (7A5), Roanoke, Alabama, at an altitude of 4,500 feet. After a full stop landing, he back-taxied, and took off for LGC, flying at an altitude of 3,000 feet. The pilot made another full stop landing at LGC, then taxied back and took off again to return to CCO. Just after the pilot took off from LGC, and the airplane was in the traffic pattern downwind leg, about 900 feet, the engine sputtered twice and quit. The pilot then attempted to land on the runway, but the airplane landed short and the nose landing gear buckled. Straight-line distance from CCO to 7A5 was 32 nautical miles, and from 7A5 to LGC was 16 nautical miles. According to a Federal Aviation Administration inspector who subsequently examined the airplane, no fuel lines were compromised or blocked, the fuel lines had "little to no fuel" in them, and the gascolater was approximately half full of fuel. In addition, the fuel header tank was empty, while the two wing tanks were "almost full." The inspector also noted that the "fuel tank shut-off valve," located "in front of the right seat along the floor," and the "main fuel valve" were in the "off" position, but that the pilot advised him that he had turned both off upon evacuation of the airplane. The pilot also stated that it was his practice to turn off the fuel tank shut-off valve after every flight. The inspector further stated that the fuel tank shut-off valve controlled fuel flow from the wing tanks to the header tank, and that the main fuel valve controlled fuel flow from the header tank to the engine. He also noted that the header tank allowed for about 1 hour of flight, as the airplane would burn 6 to 8 gallons per hour.