- Date
- July 10, 2014, 11:45 local (15:45 UTC)
- Place
- Andrews, NC
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N39ZTPekola James W Ridge Runner III
- Defining event
- Initial climb: Fuel starvation
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 2, 2014
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20140710014589A
- Case key
- 89720
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 failure to open the fuel tank valves during the preflight examination of the airplane, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation.
Findings · 3
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 he departed the airport on a local flight in an experimental amateur built category airplane. After reaching about 100 feet above ground level and about 0.5 nautical miles from the departure end of the runway, the engine "sputtered" and subsequently lost power. The pilot attempted a forced landing to a field located directly in front of the airplane. During the landing, the airplane impacted the ground, the main landing gear splayed, and the airplane skidded about 40 feet before coming to rest nose down in a ditch. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings. The pilot reported no preexisting mechanical failures or anomalies, but during a postaccident examination of the airplane he discovered that he had failed to open the fuel tank valves prior to the flight.
Factual narrative
The pilot stated that he departed the airport on a local flight in an experimental amateur built category airplane. After reaching about 100 feet above ground level and about 0.5 nautical miles from the departure end of the runway, the engine "sputtered" and subsequently lost power. The pilot attempted a forced landing to a field located directly in front of the airplane. During the landing, the airplane impacted the ground, the main landing gear splayed, and the airplane skidded about 40 feet before coming to rest nose down in a ditch. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings. The pilot reported no preexisting mechanical failures or anomalies, but during a postaccident examination of the airplane he discovered that he had failed to open the fuel tank valves prior to the flight.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N39ZT
- Reported as
- Pekola James W Ridge Runner III
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 02030388
- Built
- 2004
- Airframe hours
- 177
- Engine
- Jabiru 2200A, 80 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Sarvis Thomas Wesley
- Registered owner
- Sarvis Thomas Wesley
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal; Special, Experimental (Special)
- Departed
- RHP · Andrews, NC
- Destination
- RHP · Andrews, NC
- Airport
- RHP · Western Carolina Rgnl, runway 26, 5,500 × 100 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Electronic multifunction display, Angle of attack indicator, Airframe parachute, Stall warning system, Handheld GPS
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
- 75
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 20, 2005
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 456 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 290° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 77 °F, dew point 70 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.13 inHg
- Observed at
- RHP
Docket · 7
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 20, 2014, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.3 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.