# NTSB ERA19LA158: Acro Super Acro Sport I, N20FB, Elberton, GA, April 25, 2019 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Class 3 · Limited · Final report - Date: April 25, 2019, 13:58 local (17:58 UTC) - Place: Elberton, GA - Coordinates: 34.135276, -82.873054 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=34.1353&lon=-82.8731&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Enroute: Fuel exhaustion](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/192) - Highest injury: Serious injuries - Injuries: 1 serious - Status: Completed - Report: Approved by Office Director - Investigation class: Class 3 - NTSB office: Eastern Region Aviation - Parties: FAA/FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 99330 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ERA19LA158 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/99330/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=99330 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA19LA158 ## Probable cause The pilot’s inadequate fuel planning, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Fluids: fuel](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010): Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware · Fluid management (probable cause); cases with it: [Stilley David G/Piros James G SUPER ACRO SPORT I, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010/cases.md?model=05620GH), [All aircraft, 1,695 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010/cases.md) - [Planning/preparation: fuel planning](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061030): Personnel issues › Task performance · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Stilley David G/Piros James G SUPER ACRO SPORT I, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061030/cases.md?model=05620GH), [All aircraft, 719 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061030/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Enroute: Fuel exhaustion](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/192) (defining event); cases with it: [Stilley David G/Piros James G SUPER ACRO SPORT I, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/192/sequence.md?model=05620GH), [All aircraft, 804 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/192/sequence.md) - [Emergency descent: Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT) ](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470); cases with it: [Stilley David G/Piros James G SUPER ACRO SPORT I, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md?model=05620GH), [All aircraft, 10,189 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md) ## Analysis The pilot had just purchased the airplane and the accident flight was his first in it. Before the flight, the previous owner explained to the pilot that the main fuel tank was full of fuel and that the auxiliary tank contained no fuel. The pilot acknowledged the fuel state of the airplane and told the seller he "would not need" auxiliary fuel. Following an aborted takeoff attempt, the pilot departed for his home airport. The pilot advised first responders that during the flight, his “fuel quit working so he tried to prime it for his backup fuel to work.” When that did not remedy the problem, he prepared the airplane for a forced landing and subsequently impacted trees. The airplane was substantially damaged during the forced landing and the pilot was seriously injured. A Federal Aviation Administration inspector who examined the airplane at the accident site found that only a “very small amount” of fuel remained in the main fuel tank after the accident. The estimated fuel endurance of the airplane based on the fuel reported to be onboard at the time the pilot departed, and the estimated fuel consumption reported by the previous owner, was about 2.1 hours. The time elapsed between when the airplane departed and the accident was about 2.3 hours. Given this information, it is likely that the pilot exhausted the airplane’s available fuel supply, resulting in a total loss of engine power and subsequent forced landing. ## Factual narrative On April 25, 2019, at 1358 eastern daylight time, an experimental amateur-built Super Acro Sport I, N20FB, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Elberton, Georgia. The pilot was seriously injured. The flight was conducted under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. According to the previous owner, he had just sold the airplane to the pilot. He had filled the main fuel tank with fuel, and the auxiliary tank contained no fuel as he "never used it." The previous owner advised the pilot that the main fuel tank was full and that the auxiliary tank was empty. The pilot acknowledged that the auxiliary tank was empty and said that "he wouldn't need it." The pilot told the previous owner that he would taxi the airplane and if it felt "good" he would take off and fly back to his home airport, Broad River Air Park (3GE3), Carnesville, Georgia. Following an aborted takeoff attempt, the pilot departed at 1139 and did not return. The previous owner later attempted to contact the pilot by telephone and was unsuccessful. When sheriff's deputies responded to the scene, the pilot reported that "his fuel quit working so he tried to prime it for his backup fuel to work." When the restoration of engine power was unsuccessful, the airplane was "too low" and the pilot said he prepared for an emergency landing and then struck trees. The airplane came to rest in trees 4 miles northwest of Elbert County Airport-Patz Field (EBA), Elberton, Georgia. The wreckage was placed upright by first responders and was photographed by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector as it rested on all three landing gear. The airplane was largely intact except for the right wing, which was destroyed by impact. The main fuel tank was intact and the inspector described that only “a very small amount” of fuel remained in the main fuel tank. The fuel selector was found with the auxiliary fuel tank selected, though the inspector was unable to examine that fuel tank. The airplane had a main fuel tank capacity of 17.5 gallons, and, according to the previous owner, the average fuel consumption rate was 8.5 gallons per hour. The estimated endurance of the airplane based on this fuel quantity and consumption was about 2.1 hours. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N20FB](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N20FB-2021-07-31), registration cancelled 2021-07-31, S/N P S AIRCRAFT 1, built 1992 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: ACRO SUPER ACRO SPORT I (No Series) - Registry model: [Stilley David G/Piros James G SUPER ACRO SPORT I](https://openairdocs.org/model/stilley-david-g-piros-james-g-super-acro-sport-i) (registry code 05620GH) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming AEIO-360 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-aeio-360-series) (registry code 41522, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane, amateur-built - Serial number: P S AIRCRAFT 1 - Year built: 1992 - Airframe hours: 1196 - Engines: Lycoming O-320-A2B 150 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Airworthiness certificate: Special, Experimental (Special) - Last inspection: Condition, April 20, 2018 - Departed: 6J4, Saluda, SC - Destination: 3GE3, Carnesville, GA - Equipment: None ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 82; injuries: serious; airline transport; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: basicmed; seat: single; flight hours: 20,000 total, 2 in this make and model ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: calm - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 75 °F, dew point 63 °F - Altimeter: 29.93 inHg - Observed at: K27A, 4 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 20190425003409A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20190425003409A), Apr 25, 2019: Stilley David G/Piros James G SUPER ACRO SPORT I, Elberton, GA, Destroyed. I was notified at 15:02 local time by the regional operations center. I arrived on scene at 18:00 local. Elbert county emergency response team and sheriff?s… ## Docket (6 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 27, 2022, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=99330. 6.8 MB in all. - Pilot/operator aircraft accident report, NTSB form 6120.1 memo for record (item 1, PDF, 1 page, 47 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=9406480&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=NTSB%20Form%206120%20Memorandum%20for%20Record%20ERA19LA158-Rel.pdf - FAA inspector's statement (item 2, PDF, 2 pages, 34 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=9406567&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Inspector%20Statement%20N20FB-Rel.pdf - Statement from aircraft seller (item 3, PDF, 2 pages, 826 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=9406489&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=statement%20from%20seller_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Police report (item 4, PDF, 2 pages, 47 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=9406986&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Police%20Report_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Maintenance records (item 5, PDF, 2 pages, 5.2 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=9406405&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Condition%20Inspection_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Photos (item 6, PDF, 4 pages, 604 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=9407308&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=ERA19LA158%20Photo%20Array-Rel.pdf 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.