- Date
- March 25, 2017, 15:30 local (19:30 UTC)
- Place
- Louisa, VA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N978ERDempsey Daniel M Zodiac CH601XLB
- Defining event
- Approach-VFR pattern downwind: Fuel exhaustion
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 31, 2017
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Case key
- 94926
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 in-flight fuel mismanagement and subsequent failure to maintain adequate airspeed while attempting to land on the runway, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and a hard landing.
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 private pilot in the light-sport, experimental airplane reported that the flight was conducted with the intent of burning off fuel because he planned to pick up a passenger. When the pilot entered the downwind traffic pattern, the engine stopped. The pilot reported that, "my mistake had been to not switch fuel tanks before the one I was on was sucked dry." The pilot switched the fuel selector to a full tank and attempted to restart the engine as he maneuvered to reach the runway. The airplane's airspeed was slow, and the airplane stalled. The airplane landed hard on the left side of the runway centerline and remained on the runway when it came to rest. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the firewall and the fuselage aft of the firewall. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The private pilot in the light-sport-experimental airplane reported that the flight was conducted with the intent of burning off fuel, because he planned to pick up a passenger. When the pilot entered the downwind traffic pattern, the engine stopped. The pilot reported that, "my mistake had been to not switch fuel tanks before the one I was on was sucked dry." The pilot switched the fuel selector to a full tank and attempted to re-start the engine as he maneuvered to make the runway. He was unable to re-start the engine and he over shot the runway. The airplane's airspeed was slow and the airplane stalled. The airplane landed hard on the left side of the runway centerline and remained on the runway when it came to rest. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the firewall and the fuselage aft of the firewall. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N978ER
- Reported as
- Dempsey Daniel M Zodiac CH601XLB (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 001
- Built
- 2014
- Airframe hours
- 45
- Engine
- Daniel Dempsey Corvair Conve, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental light sport (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 15, 2016
- Departed
- LKU · Louisa, VA
- Destination
- LKU · Louisa, VA
- Airport
- LKU · Louisa County Airport/Freeman, runway 09, 4,000 × 100 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Handheld GPS, Electronic multifunction display, Angle of attack indicator
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
- 60
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 12, 2013
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 130 total · 75 in this make and model · 130 as pilot in command · 8 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 190° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.13 inHg
- Observed at
- KLKU
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 25, 2017, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.4 MB in all.