- Date
- March 20, 2019, 10:00 local (19:00 UTC)
- Place
- Kailua-Kona, HI
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N912TJAir Creation Tanarg
- Defining event
- Maneuvering: Loss of engine power (total)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 6, 2019
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20190320022829A
- Case key
- 99184
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 preflight fuel planning, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.
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 weight-shift-control aircraft reported that he departed with 6 gallons of fuel onboard the airplane and that he estimated that the fuel burn was 3 gallons per hour. He added that, during the flight, he performed multiple climbs and descents, and he believed the aircraft burned more fuel than usual. He added that, about 1 hour 15 minutes into the flight, the engine lost power. He restarted the engine momentarily, but it then lost power again. He attempted to restart the engine multiple times to no avail. During the forced landing, he attempted to land the aircraft on a field, but it impacted terrain about 15 yards short of the intended landing site. The aircraft sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot added that, after visiting the hospital, he went back to look at the aircraft and did not see any fuel in the fuel tank. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the aircraft that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot of the weight-shift control aircraft reported that he departed with 6 gallons of fuel and the estimated fuel burn was 3 gallons per hour. He added that, during the flight they performed multiple climbs and descents and he believed the aircraft burned more fuel than usual. He added that, about 1 hour and 15 minutes into the flight, the engine lost power. He restarted the engine momentarily, but then lost power again. He attempted to restart multiple times again, to no avail. During the forced landing, he attempted to land on a soccer field, but the aircraft impacted terrain about 15 yards short of the intended landing site. The aircraft sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot added that, after visiting the hospital, he went back to look at the aircraft and did not observe any fuel in the fuel tank. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the weight-shift control aircraft that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N912TJ
- Reported as
- Air Creation Tanarg
- Category
- Weight-shift
- Serial number
- T06113
- Built
- 2006
- Airframe hours
- 818
- Engine
- Rotax 912UL, 80 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental light sport (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 21, 2018
- Departed
- KOA · Kailua/Kona, HI
- Destination
- KOA · Kailua/Kona, HI
- Equipment
- Video recording 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
- 45
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificates
- Sport Pilot, Flight instructor
- Medical
- Sport pilot
- Last flight review
- March 16, 2018
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 533 total · 420 in this make and model · 475 as pilot in command · 30 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 250° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 77 °F, dew point 63 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.05 inHg
- Observed at
- PHKO, 5 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 10, 2019, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.5 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.