- Date
- May 24, 2018, 16:20 local (20:20 UTC)
- Place
- Port Orange, FL
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N5787LAmerican AA
- Defining event
- Initial climb: Fuel exhaustion
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 18, 2019
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20180524015039A
- Case key
- 97468
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 of the fuel, which resulted in fuel exhaustion and a subsequent total loss of engine power.
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 reported that, shortly after departure, about 1,000 ft above ground level, the engine lost total power. While searching for an off-airport landing spot, he made a right turn toward the airport, positioned the fuel selector knob toward the second tank, and attempted to restart the engine. The engine restarted briefly but then lost power. He attempted to restart the engine again after he repositioned the fuel selector back to the original tank, but the engine did not start. He conducted a forced landing in a field with trees and heavy vegetation 2 miles west of the airport. The pilot added that he "should have made a positive determination of fuel on board prior to takeoff." The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing and fuselage. Postaccident examination by the Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed no distinctive fuel odor at the accident site, and only a cup of fuel was recovered from both tanks.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that, shortly after departure, about 1000 ft. above ground level, the engine sustained a total power loss. While searching for an off-airport landing spot, he made a right turn towards the airport, positioned the fuel selector knob towards the second tank and attempted to restart the engine. The engine restarted briefly but lost power. He attempted to restart the engine again after he repositioned the fuel selector back to the original tank, but the engine did not start. He forced landed the airplane in a field with trees and heavy vegetation two miles west of the airport. The pilot added that he "should have made a positive determination of fuel on board prior to takeoff." The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing and fuselage. A postaccident examination by the FAA revealed no distinctive fuel odor at the accident site and only a cup of fuel was recovered from both tanks.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5787L
- Reported as
- American AA (1)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- AA1-0187
- Built
- 1969
- Airframe hours
- 2,665.7
- Engine
- Lycoming O-290-D2, 135 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 23, 2018
- Departed
- 7FL6 · Daytona Beach, FL
- Destination
- 7FL6 · Daytona Beach, FL
- Airport
- 7FL6 · Spruce Creek
- Equipment
- Stall warning system, Handheld GPS, Electronic flight bag or handheld device
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
- 71
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine sea, Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 18, 2018
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 26,000 total · 600 in this make and model · 23,000 as pilot in command · 40 in the last 90 days · 12 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 80° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 70 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.04 inHg
- Observed at
- KDAB, 7 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 15, 2018, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.8 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.
Other investigations on N5787L · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.