- Date
- July 27, 2018, 13:15 local (18:15 UTC)
- Place
- El Dorado, AR
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N391KMBellanca 8GCBC
- Defining event
- Enroute: Fuel exhaustion
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dawn
- Status
- Completed · report November 6, 2019
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20180727018169A
- Case key
- 97974
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 planning, which resulted in fuel exhaustion and a subsequent total loss of engine power.
Findings · 2
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 of the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that, during the return to the departure airport following a local flight, the engine lost all power. Subsequently, he conducted a forced landing on a dirt road, during which the propeller struck the ground, and the airplane then nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right-wing lift strut. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. A Federal Aviation Administration inspector reported that only 1 gallon of fuel was recovered from both wing tanks.
Factual narrative
The pilot of the tailwheel equipped airplane reported that, during the return to the departure airport following a local flight, the airplane had a total loss of engine power. He force landed the airplane on a dirt road, but the propeller struck the ground and airplane nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right-wing lift strut. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The Federal Aviation Administration Inspector confirmed that only one gallon of fuel was drained and recovered from both wing tanks. The pilot did not submit the National Transportation Safety Board Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident/Incident Report Form 6120.1.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N391KM
- Reported as
- Bellanca 8GCBC
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 182-75
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-C2A, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial observation · Part 91
- Operator
- Blues Air Llc
- Registered owner
- Blues Air Llc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- El Dorado, AR
- Destination
- El Dorado, AR
- Equipment
- Unknown
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
- 24
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dawn
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 93 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.04 inHg
- Observed at
- KELD
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 11, 2019, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 184 KB 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.