- Date
- June 21, 2015, 16:00 local (21:00 UTC)
- Place
- Andover, MN
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N799CTFlight Design Ctls
- Defining event
- Enroute-descent: Fuel exhaustion
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 11, 2015
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- MINNEAPOLIS FSDO (FAA)
- FAA report
- 20150621008889A
- Case key
- 91472
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 and preflight planning, which resulted in the total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion and a forced landing in a field where the airplane nosed over.
Findings · 4
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 about 10 miles from his destination airport he exhausted his fuel supply. Subsequently, the engine experienced a total loss of engine power and he made an emergency landing in a soft dirt field. During the landing roll, the amphibious float- equipped airplane nosed over and came to rest on its back after the floats dug into the dirt. The pilot reported that he did not visually check the fuel quantity prior to flight, but believed he had a sufficient quantity. The pilot stated there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed substantial damage to the fuselage.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that about 10 miles from his destination airport he exhausted his fuel supply. Subsequently, the engine experienced a total loss of engine power and he made an emergency landing in a soft dirt field. During the landing roll, the amphibious float- equipped airplane nosed over and came to rest on its back after the floats dug into the dirt. The pilot reported that he did not visually check the fuel quantity prior to flight, but believed he had a sufficient quantity. The pilot stated there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed substantial damage to the fuselage.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N799CT
- Reported as
- Flight Design Ctls (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- F-13-04-06
- Built
- 2014
- Airframe hours
- 104
- Engine
- Rotax 912, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Special light-sport (Special)
- Departed
- XVG · Longville, MN
- Destination
- ANE · Minneapolis, MN
- Equipment
- Stall warning system, ADS-B, Airframe parachute, Angle of attack indicator, Auto-pilot, Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Electronic multifunction display, Electronic primary flight display, Handheld GPS, Onboard weather
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
- 62
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 22, 2014
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 386 total · 102 in this make and model · 386 as pilot in command · 44 in the last 90 days · 20 in the last 30 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 310° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 25,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.88 inHg
- Observed at
- KANE, 13 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 29, 2015, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.4 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.