- Date
- March 28, 2015, 10:15 local (16:15 UTC)
- Place
- Logan, UT
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N195KFKerr John A Kitfox Classic IV
- Defining event
- Enroute: Fuel exhaustion
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 1, 2015
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA Salt Lake City FSDO
- FAA report
- 20150328003449A
- Case key
- 90967
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/planning, which resulted in fuel exhaustion, and a loss of engine power en route.
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 departed for a local flight with an indication on the fuel gauges of approximately one quarter per tank of fuel. The pilot stated he did not perform a visual inspection of the fuel tanks during his pre-flight procedures. About 30 minutes into the flight, the pilot returned to the airport. Prior to reaching the airport, the engine quit due to fuel exhaustion. The pilot selected a field for a forced landing. During the landing, the airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage frame. The pilot reported there were no pre-impact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe of engine that would have precluded normal operation. An examination of the airplane at the accident site by an FAA air safety inspector revealed there was no fuel in the tanks.
Factual narrative
The pilot departed for a local flight with an indication on the fuel gauges of approximately one quarter per tank of fuel. The pilot stated he did not perform a visual inspection of the fuel tanks during his pre-flight procedures. About 30 minutes into the flight, the pilot returned to the airport. Prior to reaching the airport, the engine quit due to fuel exhaustion. The pilot selected a field for a forced landing. During the landing, the airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage frame. The pilot reported there were no pre-impact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe of engine that would have precluded normal operation. An examination of the airplane at the accident site by an FAA air safety inspector revealed there was no fuel in the tanks.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N195KF
- Reported as
- Kerr John A Kitfox Classic IV (IV)
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- C94110085
- Built
- 1996
- Airframe hours
- 934.5
- Engine
- Rotax 912UL, 80 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Kerr John A
- Registered owner
- Kerr John A
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · December 24, 2014
- Departed
- LGU · Logan, UT
- Destination
- LGU · Logan, UT
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
- 74
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Waiver time limited special
- Last flight review
- November 19, 2013
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 1,254 total · 924 in this make and model · 1,159 as pilot in command · 8.3 in the last 90 days · 5.5 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 300° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 48 °F, dew point 39 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.11 inHg
- Observed at
- KLGU, 6 nm away
Docket · 7
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 21, 2015, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.