# NTSB WPR19LA049: Taylorcraft L 2M, N46147, Walla Walla, WA, December 21, 2018 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Class 3 · Limited · Final report - Date: December 21, 2018, 13:30 local (21:30 UTC) - Place: Walla Walla, WA - Coordinates: 46.232223, -118.224166 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=46.2322&lon=-118.2242&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Enroute: Fuel exhaustion](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/192) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed - Report: Approved by Office Director - Investigation class: Class 3 - NTSB office: Western Pacific Region - Parties: FAA-FSDO - SAIBs cited in the narratives: [SAIB CE-09-35](https://openairdocs.org/saib/CE-09-35) (OpenAirDocs) - NTSB case key (mKey): 98819 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=WPR19LA049 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/98819/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=98819 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR19LA049 ## Probable cause The pilot's improper preflight planning, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Planning/preparation: fuel planning](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061030): Personnel issues › Task performance · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Taylorcraft L-2M, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061030/cases.md?model=8850414), [All aircraft, 719 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061030/cases.md) - [Fluids: fuel](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010): Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware · Fluid management (probable cause); cases with it: [Taylorcraft L-2M, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010/cases.md?model=8850414), [All aircraft, 1,695 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Enroute: Fuel exhaustion](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/192) (defining event); cases with it: [Taylorcraft L-2M, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/192/sequence.md?model=8850414), [All aircraft, 804 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/192/sequence.md) - [Landing-landing roll: Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT) ](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470); cases with it: [Taylorcraft L-2M, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md?model=8850414), [All aircraft, 10,189 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md) ## Analysis The pilot had just purchased the airplane. Before departing on the cross-country flight, he conducted preflight fuel planning based on the airplane’s total fuel capacity and the fuel consumption rate as reported by the previous owner (16 gallons and 4 gallons per hour, respectively). The pilot reported that, about 30 minutes from the destination, the fuel quantity gauges “showed low fuel,” but he thought he had adequate fuel onboard to reach the airport. About 15 minutes from the destination, the engine lost total power and the pilot performed a forced landing to a field. The airplane nosed down during the landing roll and came to rest upright, resulting in substantial damage to the engine firewall and mounts. An industry expert for the accident airplane make/model and engine configuration indicated that the airplane’s fuel consumption was likely about 6 gallons per hour and that the airplane had a total fuel capacity of 14 gallons. During a subsequent interview, the pilot reported that the loss of engine power was the result of fuel exhaustion. The pilot’s reliance on the information provided by the previous owner likely contributed to his exhaustion of the available fuel. ## Factual narrative On December 21, 2018, about 1330 Pacific standard time, a Taylorcraft L-2M airplane, N46147, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Walla Walla, Washington. The commercial pilot was not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The pilot reported that he departed with 16 gallons of fuel onboard and climbed to about 3,500 ft mean sea level (msl) at a 500 foot-per-minute (fpm) rate of climb. After experiencing about 30 minutes of rough air, the pilot climbed to 6,500 ft msl, also at a 500-fpm rate of climb, but could not find smooth air and returned to his original cruise altitude for the remainder of the flight. About 30 minutes from the destination, he noted that the fuel quantity gauges “showed low fuel,” but he thought that he had adequate fuel to make it to the airport. About 15 minutes from the destination, the engine "sputtered" and then lost all power. He verified that the oil temperature and pressure were normal and applied full throttle, rich mixture, carburetor heat, verified that the fuel selector was in the ON position, and that the magnetos were set to both. The pilot was unable to restore engine power and performed an off-airport landing to an open area. During the landing roll, the airplane nosed down and contacted the ground. Examination of the airplane revealed substantial damage to the engine mounts and firewall. The recovery team that responded to the accident site reported that the fuel tanks and header tank were void of fuel and that the fuel system was not compromised. The 1353 recorded weather observation at ALW included wind from 220° at 11 knots, 10 statute miles visibility, clear skies, temperature 06°C (43°F), dew point -01°C (30°F), and an altimeter setting of 30.13 inches of mercury. The potential for carburetor ice was graphed using a carburetor ice chart from the Federal Aviation Administration's Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin CE-09-35, "Carburetor Ice Prevention," published on June 30, 2009. According to the chart, the airplane was at risk of serious icing at glide power and may have been at risk of serious icing at cruise power. During a follow-up interview with the pilot, he reported that he may have experienced fuel exhaustion during the accident flight. According to the pilot, the previous owner informed him that the engine's average fuel consumption was 4 gallons per hour (gph); however, the pilot did not corroborate this information with another source, as the previous owner was experienced in building airplanes. Further, the owner also told the pilot that the airplane was equipped with two 6-gallon wing tanks and one 4-gallon header tank. The pilot fueled the airplane to capacity and completed his fuel performance computation based on a 16-gallon fuel capacity and 4 gph fuel consumption. The previous owner furnished the pilot with historical records for the accident airplane; however, a flight manual was notamong them. The pilot's total flight time en route was 2 hrs and 15 minutes, and he recalled leaning the fuel/air mixture out during cruise flight. A fuel performance computation was completed using the flight plan information provided by the pilot. The airplane was equipped with a Continental O-200, air-cooled, reciprocating engine. According to an industry expert, the fuel consumption for this make/model and engine configuration is 5-6 gph or more. Additionally, the total fuel quantity for the airplane was 14 gallons, as the header tank's capacity was actually 2 gallons, not 4 gallons. Based on these values, the airplane would have burned about 1.2 gallons in the approximate 12 minutes that elapsed during takeoff and while climbing to 3,500 ft, and then 6,500 ft at a 500 fpm rate of climb. This would have left the pilot with 12.8 total gallons of fuel for the remaining 2 hours and 3 minutes of flight, which equates to a fuel consumption of about 6.4 gph. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N46147](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N46147), registered now, S/N L5567, built 1943 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Taylorcraft L 2M (No Series) - Registry model: [Taylorcraft L-2M](https://openairdocs.org/model/taylorcraft-l-2m) (registry code 8850414) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Continental A&C65 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-a-c65-series) (registry code 17003, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: L5567 - Year built: 1943 - Airframe hours: 1423 - Engines: Continental O-200-A 100 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, May 14, 2018, 9 hours before - Departed: SZT, Sandpoint, ID - Destination: ALW, Walla Walla, WA - Flight plan: VFR - Equipment: Electronic flight bag or handheld device ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 23; injuries: none; commercial; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, with waivers/limitations; last flight review January 8, 2018; seat: front; restraint: lap only; flight hours: 276 total, 1 in this make and model, 171 as pilot in command, 5 in the last 90 days, 2 in the last 30 days, 1 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 220° at 11 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 43 °F, dew point 30 °F - Altimeter: 30.12 inHg - Observed at: ALW, 10 nm away ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20181221022039A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20181221022039A), Dec 21, 2018: Taylorcraft L-2M, Walla Walla, WA, Substantial damage. Pilot departed sand point, id on routine cross country to Walla Walla ,WA. Distance of 174 statute miles . Aircraft cruise speed stated by pilot: 115 mph.… ## Docket (6 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 17, 2022, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=98819. 12.7 MB in all. - Pilot/operator aircraft accident report, NTSB form 6120.1 (item 1, PDF, 9 pages, 9.9 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=7855315&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Pilot%20Report%206120_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Weather reports and records (item 2, PDF, 2 pages, 58 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=7855430&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=MOR%20Weather-Rel.pdf - Record of converations (item 3, PDF, 3 pages, 60 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=7856916&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Record%20of%20Conversations-Rel.pdf - NTSB fuel performance computations (item 4, PDF, 1 page, 68 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=7855439&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Fuel%20consumption%20computations-Rel.pdf - FAA carburetor ice probability chart (item 5, PDF, 1 page, 143 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=7855324&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Carb%20Ice-Rel.pdf - Accident photographs (item 6, PDF, 5 pages, 2.4 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=7855490&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Accident%20Photographs-Rel.pdf From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.