- Date
- November 7, 2021, 08:40 local (13:40 UTC)
- Place
- Ridgeway, VA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N51127Maule M-4-220C
- Defining event
- Initial climb: Loss of engine power (total)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA - FSDO
- FAA report
- 20211107019119A
- Case key
- 104220
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 fuel management which resulted in a loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s inadequate preflight inspection.
Findings · 5
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 reported that he conducted a walk-around of the airplane before boarding for the accident flight. After engine start, he noted more fuel in the right tank with the fuel totalizer reading 9.8 gallons and selected that tank for takeoff. After departure, while in the climb, the airplane experienced a total loss of engine power. The pilot stated he pitched the airplane forward and switched the fuel selector to both tanks just before they impacted trees at the end of the runway, which resulted in substantial damage to both wings. The pilot turned off the power and closed the fuel selector valve before egressing the airplane. During a post-accident examination, the fuel strainer was drained and a trace amount of residual fuel was present. Three of the 4 wing tanks were opened with fuel in both left tanks, but the right inboard tank showed no fuel and the right outboard tank was inaccessible. Additionally, the airport owner reported that he met the pilot on the runway after the accident, and the pilot stated, “the engine quit”, and “fuel may have been an issue.” The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N51127
- Reported as
- Maule M-4-220C
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 2188C
- Built
- 1973
- Airframe hours
- 1,179
- Engine
- Franklin 6A 350 C1, 220 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 7, 2020 · 40 hours before
- Destination
- W88 · Greensboro, NC
- Airport
- VA02 · Pace, runway 18/36, 3,000 × 150 ft, grass/turf
- Equipment
- Stall warning system, ADS-B, 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
- 64
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- January 20, 2021
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 3,810 total · 261 in this make and model · 3,730 as pilot in command · 49 in the last 90 days · 22 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 10° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 43 °F, dew point 32 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.19 inHg
- Observed at
- SIF, 9 nm away
- METAR
- KSIF 071235Z AUTO 01004KT 10SM CLR 06/00 A3019 RMK AO2 T00581001
Docket · 6
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 19, 2022, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 5.0 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.