ERA16LA291

The private pilot was on a local personal flight and, after flying about 1.5 hours, the engine experienced a total loss of engine power that he could not restore. He maneuvered the airplane for a forced landing in a field, but the airplane impacted the ground in a nose- and left-wing-low attitude, which resulted in substantial damage to the airframe. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed no fuel remaining in the intact fuel tank and only residual fuel remaining in the fuel strainer and carburetor. The glass face of the fuel tank quantity indicator gauge was scratched and cloudy. The examination revealed no evidence of preimpact failures or malfunctions of the engine or engine accessories that would have precluded normal operation. Thus, it is likely that the pilot did not adequately manage the fuel supply during flight, and the scratched and cloudy glass face of the fuel quantity indicator gauge may have led the pilot to misinterpret how much fuel was remaining.

On August 13, 2016, about 1203 eastern daylight time, a Luscombe 8A, N71497, was substantially damaged during a forced landing in an open field near Marlboro, New Jersey. The private pilot sustained serious injuries. The airplane was being operated under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed. The local flight originated about 1 hour 30 minutes earlier from Old Bridge Airport (3N6), Old Bridge, New Jersey.The pilot stated to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) personnel that the flight departed 3N6 with about 12 gallons of fuel and flew around the local area. While in cruise flight at 1,200 ft mean sea level, he reported the engine suddenly ceased producing power, and his attempts to restore engine power were unsuccessful. He maneuvered for a forced landing to a nearby racetrack but realized the flight path was too high. He then maneuvered for a forced landing in a nearby field, and while in a nose and left wing low attitude, the airplane impacted the ground. He further stated that the engine did not sputter, and he did apply carburetor heat, but that did not restore engine power. Examination of the accident site and airplane by the FAA inspector revealed no fuel remained in the un-breached fuel tank. The inlet fitting at the fuel strainer was broken off but no fuel leakage was noted. A stain on the ground near the engine was attributed to be oil from the breached oil tank. During recovery of the airplane, the fuel supply line from the fuel tank was cut and no fuel was noted in the line. Examination of the engine by a representative of the engine manufacturer with FAA oversight following recovery of the airplane revealed no evidence of preimpact failure or malfunction. The carburetor which was separated from the induction plenum but remained connected via the flexible hose from the fuel strainer and control cables was drained and found to contain about 1 or 2 teaspoons of fuel. The fuel strainer was found to contain about 2 tablespoons of fuel. The fuel tank quantity indicator glass was scratched and cloudy. There were no other reported issues with the fuel quantity indicating system.