- Date
- June 7, 2003, 12:09 local (17:09 UTC)
- Place
- Bartlesville, OK
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N94SMManweiler Acro Sport II
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 30, 2003
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- OKC FSDO
- FAA report
- 20030607012509A
- Case key
- 57158
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 inadequate preflight inspection, which resulted in fuel exhaustion. A related factor was the lack of suitable terrain.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
An experimental home-built airplane, was substantially damaged during a forced landing following a total loss of engine power. The pilot stated that he requested fuel prior to departure from the Newton Country Airport (EWK). Fuel servicing was not performed on the aircraft as requested by the pilot. He departed without checking fuel quantity. He attempted an emergency landing in a field, where the airplane nosed over, and came to rest in the inverted position.
Factual narrative
On June 7, 2003, at 1209 central daylight time, a Manweiler Acro Sport II experimental home-built airplane, N94SM, was substantially damaged during a forced landing following a loss of engine power near Bartlesville, Oklahoma. The instrument rated private pilot and his passenger were not injured. The airplane, owned and operated by the pilot, was operating under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal flight for which a visual flight plan had not been filed. The local flight originated from the Bartlesville Airport (BVO), near Bartlesville, Oklahoma, approximately 1200.
The 2,048-hour pilot reported that he had requested fuel prior to his departure from the Newton Country Airport (EWK). Fuel servicing was not performed on the aircraft as requested by the pilot, and the pilot departed without checking fuel quantity on-board his airplane. While on a formation flight with two other vintage airplanes, the engine loss power when the flight was about 6 miles from the BVO airport. The pilot stated that he performed all of the required actions necessary for an engine restart, but was unsuccessful. The pilot attempted a forced landing in an open hay field; however, the 3 foot tall grass "tripped the landing gear" and the tail-wheel equipped airplane nosed over, and came to rest in the inverted position.
Examination of the wreckage revealed structural damage to the vertical stabilizer and rudder. The engine cowling and wooden propeller were also damaged. The pilot confirmed that the fuel system was empty.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N94SM
- Reported as
- Manweiler Acro Sport II
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 733
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-AIA, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Steven R Manweiler
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Departed
- BVO · Bartlesville, OK
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
- 58
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Last flight review
- July 18, 2002
- Seat
- Rear
- Flight hours
- 2,048 total · 511 in this make and model · 1,907 as pilot in command · 12 in the last 90 days · 8 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 310° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.89 inHg
- Observed at
- BVO
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N94SM · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.