- Date
- July 10, 2008, 14:43 local (21:43 UTC)
- Place
- Camarillo, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N7471DPiper PA-18A-150
- Defining event
- Approach: Fuel starvation
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 28, 2008
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20080710841869A
- Case key
- 68426
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 fuel management, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation.
Findings · 1
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 stated that he was descending on a 5-mile final approach for the runway when the airplane experienced a total loss of engine power. He said that there were no abnormal indications on the engine gauges, and he believed he had exhausted all useable fuel in the two right wing fuel tanks. He immediately switched the fuel selector to the left wing tank. The engine did not regain power, so the pilot verified that the magneto switches were on. According to the pilot, there is no electric starter installed on the engine. The airplane continued to descend, and about 500 feet above the ground, the propeller stopped rotating. The pilot released the banner he was towing, and he made a forced landing in a rough field. The airplane nosed over during the landing rollout, and the left wing's structure was damaged. The pilot reported that the airplane was equipped with three fuel tanks, two in the right wing and one in the left wing. Each tank holds 18 gallons of fuel, for a total of 54 gallons that provides about a 6-hour endurance. During banner tow operations the fuel burn off rate is about 8 gallons per hour. All fuel tanks were filled to capacity prior to the pilot's 1040 takeoff. The airplane had been airborne about 4 hours when the loss of power occurred.
Factual narrative
In a written report, the pilot stated that he was in contact with the Camarillo Airport (CMA) air traffic control tower, descending on a 5-mile final approach for the runway, when the airplane experienced a total loss of engine power. He stated that there were no "abnormal" indications on the engine gauges, and he believed he had exhausted all useable fuel in the two right wing fuel tanks. He immediately switched the fuel selector to the left wing tank. The engine did not regain power, so the pilot verified that the magneto switches were on. According to the pilot, there is no electric starter installed for the engine. The airplane continued to descend, and about 500 feet above the ground, the propeller stopped rotating. The pilot released the banner he was towing, and he made a forced landing in a rough field about 1442. The airplane nosed over during the landing rollout, and the left wing's structure was damaged.
The pilot reported that the airplane was equipped with three fuel tanks, two in the right wing and one in the left wing. Each tank holds 18 gallons of fuel, for a total of 54 gallons. During banner tow operations the fuel burn off rate is about 8 gallons per hour. All fuel tanks were filled to capacity prior to the pilot's 1040 takeoff. At the nominal engine power setting the pilot indicated he typically uses, the airplane's endurance is about 6 hours.
In the pilot's completed "Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident" report he wrote that the accident would have been prevented if he had switched to the left fuel tank before the right tanks ran out of fuel.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7471D
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18A-150
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-5806
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Banner tow · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Van Wagner Aerial Media
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · July 1, 2008
- Departed
- CMA · Camarillo, CA
- Destination
- CMA
- Airport
- CMA · Camarillo, runway 26, 6,013 × 150 ft, asphalt
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 28
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2
- Last flight review
- May 1, 2007
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 1,909 total · 1,630 in this make and model · 1,770 as pilot in command · 324 in the last 90 days · 110 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.