# NTSB WPR20CA056: Cosmos Phase II, N5057Z, Lake Havasu City, AZ, December 22, 2019 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Data collection · Final report - Date: December 22, 2019, 13:00 local (20:00 UTC) - Place: Lake Havasu City, AZ - Coordinates: 34.483226, -114.32343 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=34.4832&lon=-114.3234&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Enroute-cruise: Loss of engine power (total)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341) - Highest injury: Serious injuries - Injuries: 1 serious, 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report June 16, 2020 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Western Pacific Region - Parties: Federal Aviation Adminsitration - NTSB case key (mKey): 100758 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=WPR20CA056 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/100758/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=100758 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR20CA056 ## Probable cause The total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion, which resulted from the pilot's inadequate preflight fuel inspection. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Fluids: fuel](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010): Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware · Fluid level (probable cause); cases with it: [Bjornstad Norman L COSMOS PHASE II, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010/cases.md?model=05902MJ), [All aircraft, 1,695 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010/cases.md) - [Inspection: preflight inspection](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061510): Personnel issues › Task performance · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Bjornstad Norman L COSMOS PHASE II, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061510/cases.md?model=05902MJ), [All aircraft, 551 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061510/cases.md) - [Object/animal/substance](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03022000): Environmental issues › Physical environment · Effect on operation (probable cause); cases with it: [Bjornstad Norman L COSMOS PHASE II, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03022000/cases.md?model=05902MJ), [All aircraft, 224 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03022000/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Prior to flight: Aircraft inspection event](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/050); cases with it: [Bjornstad Norman L COSMOS PHASE II, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/050/sequence.md?model=05902MJ), [All aircraft, 229 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/050/sequence.md) - [Enroute-cruise: Loss of engine power (total)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341) (defining event); cases with it: [Bjornstad Norman L COSMOS PHASE II, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341/sequence.md?model=05902MJ), [All aircraft, 3,820 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341/sequence.md) - [Landing: Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT) ](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470); cases with it: [Bjornstad Norman L COSMOS PHASE II, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md?model=05902MJ), [All aircraft, 10,189 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md) ## Analysis The pilot reported that, while the trike was at cruise flight about 800 ft above ground level, the engine lost power. He attempted to restart the engine to no avail and then initiated a landing in open desert. During the landing roll, the trike impacted a large boulder. Postaccident examination of the trike revealed that it had run out of fuel. The pilot added that the trike was not equipped with a fuel quantity gauge and that the only way to verify the fuel level was to visually look in the fuel tank. Additionally, he thought he had a full tank of fuel before takeoff. The trike sustained substantial damage to the forward upright wing support tubes. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the trike that would have precluded normal operation. ## Factual narrative The private pilot reported that during cruise flight at an altitude of about 800 ft above ground level, the engine lost power. Despite his attempt, he could not restart the engine and initiated a landing in the open desert. During the landing roll, the aircraft impacted a large boulder. The pilot stated that the examination of the trike after the accident revealed that he had ran out of gas. The pilot added that the trike was not equipped with a fuel quantity gauge, and that the only way to verify the fuel level was visually looking into the fuel tank. Additionally, he thought he had a full tank of gas prior to takeoff.The trike sustained substantial damage to the forward upright wing support tubes. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the trike that would have precluded normal operation. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N5057Z](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N5057Z-2020-04-21), registration cancelled 2020-04-21, S/N B21479, built 2000 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Cosmos Phase II - Registry model: [Bjornstad Norman L COSMOS PHASE II](https://openairdocs.org/model/bjornstad-norman-l-cosmos-phase-ii) (registry code 05902MJ) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Rotax 503 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/rotax-503-series) (registry code 55564, 2 cycle) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane, amateur-built - Serial number: B21479 - Year built: 2000 - Engines: Rotax 503 50 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Airworthiness certificate: Special, Experimental (Special) - Departed: Lake Havasu, AZ - Destination: Lake Havasu, AZ - Equipment: Unknown ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 66; injuries: serious; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; medical: class 3, without waivers/limitations; seat: left ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: calm - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 50 °F, dew point 34 °F - Altimeter: 30.07 inHg - Observed at: KEED, 24 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 20191222019889A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20191222019889A), Dec 22, 2019: Bjornstad Norman L COSMOS PHASE II, Lake Havasu Cit, AZ, Substantial damage. 12/23/2019- After about an hour of flight on 12/22/2019 at around 10:34 am in a cosmos phase 11 weight shifting (ultralight) aircraft the engine "cut out" and… ## Docket (2 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on February 28, 2020, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=100758. 631 KB in all. - Record of Conversations - Pilot (item 1, .PDF, 88 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40480840&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Record%20of%20Conversations%20-%20Pilot-Master.PDF - Photo Array (item 2, .PDF, 543 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40480841&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%20Array-Master.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.