- Date
- April 27, 2007, 08:00 local (15:00 UTC)
- Place
- Prineville, OR
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N40520Piper PA-18
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 27, 2007
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20070427006919A
- Case key
- 65652
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 total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion as a result of the pilot failing to correctly read the fuel quantity sight gauges. Factors include soft, brushy terrain, and the pilot's intentional excessive braking during the forced landing.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
During the preflight inspection, the pilot looked at the fuel level sight gauges and did not see a meniscus point in the clear tubes. He therefore assumed that this meant the tanks were completely full and that the entire sight gauge was filled with fuel. About five minutes after departure the aircraft ran out of fuel, and during the ensuing forced landing the aircraft nosed over on the soft, brushy terrain as the pilot applied "excessive braking" in order to stop before reaching a line of trees. After the accident, the pilot checked his fueling log, and then realized that the fuel tanks had been almost completely empty prior to takeoff, and that the reason he saw no meniscus point in the fuel quantity sight gauges was because the lines were completely full of air. The pilot had not visually checked the fuel tanks during his preflight.
Factual narrative
During the preflight inspection, the pilot looked at the fuel level sight gauges and did not see a meniscus point in the clear tubes. He therefore assumed that this meant the tanks were completely full and that the entire sight gauge was filled with fuel. About five minutes after departure the aircraft ran out of fuel, and during the ensuing forced landing the aircraft nosed over on the soft, brushy terrain as the pilot applied "excessive braking" in order to stop before reaching a line of trees. After the accident, the pilot checked his fueling log, and then realized that the fuel tanks had been almost completely empty prior to takeoff, and that the reason he saw no meniscus point in the fuel quantity sight gauges was because the lines were completely full of air. The pilot had not visually checked the fuel tanks during his preflight.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N40520
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 7509121
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A1D, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Larry D. Goodman
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- S39 · Prineville, OR
- Destination
- S39 · Prineville, OR
- Airport
- S39 · Prineville Airport
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
- 58
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3
- Last flight review
- August 1, 2006
- Flight hours
- 525 total · 525 in this make and model · 29 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 50 °F
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 N40520 · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.