- Date
- October 30, 2011, 11:14 local (15:14 UTC)
- Place
- Folkston, GA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N968TPTacchi Torello F Vans Aircraft RV10
- Defining event
- Enroute-descent: Fuel exhaustion
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 16, 2012
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20111030026909A
- Case key
- 82209
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 preflight planning, which resulted in a loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot stated that, prior to departing on the 1-hour flight, he added 5 gallons of fuel to both the left and right fuel tanks and visually estimated the total fuel on board to be 23 gallons. About 4 minutes from the destination airport, the engine began to sputter. The pilot noticed that the right fuel tank gauge indicated empty, and the left indicated one-quarter full. The pilot then switched the fuel selector from the right tank to the left and proceeded to fly at a reduced power setting, but the engine began to sputter again, and the pilot selected a field in which to perform a forced landing. The airplane landed between two trees, resulting in substantial damage to both wings. The pilot stated there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or anomalies with the airplane.
Factual narrative
The pilot stated that prior to departing on the one-hour flight, he added 5 gallons of fuel to both left and right fuel tanks, and visually estimated the total fuel on board to be 23 gallons. Approximately 4 minutes from the destination airport, the engine began to sputter. The pilot noticed that the right fuel tank gauge indicated empty, and the left indicated one-quarter full. The pilot then switched the fuel selector from the right tank to the left, but the engine continued to sputter, and the pilot selected a field to perform a forced landing. The airplane landed between two trees, resulting in substantial damage to both left and right wings. The pilot stated there were no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies with the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N968TP
- Reported as
- Tacchi Torello F Vans Aircraft RV10
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 40031
- Airframe hours
- 70
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540 SER, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Tacchi Torello F
- Registered owner
- Tacchi Torello F
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special); Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Condition · March 24, 2011
- Departed
- OIJ · Hilliard, FL
- Destination
- AYS · Waycross, GA
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
- 71
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- September 28, 2011
- Flight hours
- 2,322 total · 69 in this make and model · 2,055 as pilot in command · 69 in the last 90 days · 13 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 70° at 17 knots, gusting 22
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 66 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.20 inHg
- Observed at
- JAX, 25 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.