# NTSB WPR20LA259: Rutan Vari EZE, N2ZE, Kelso Valley, CA, August 9, 2020 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Class 3 · Limited · Final report - Date: August 9, 2020, 08:00 local (15:00 UTC) - Place: Kelso Valley, CA - Coordinates: 35.447776, -118.071945 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=35.4478&lon=-118.0719&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Enroute: Fuel related](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/190) - Highest injury: Serious injuries - Injuries: 1 serious, 1 minor - Status: Completed - Report: Approved by Office Director - Investigation class: Class 3 - NTSB office: Western Pacific Region - Parties: FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 101761 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=WPR20LA259 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/101761/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=101761 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR20LA259 ## Probable cause The pilot’s failure to secure the fuel cap, 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. - [Action: forgotten action/omission](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041035): Personnel issues › Action/decision · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Page/Le Master VARI-EZE, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041035/cases.md?model=056091F), [All aircraft, 440 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041035/cases.md) - [Fluids: fuel](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010): Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware · Fluid level (probable cause); cases with it: [Page/Le Master VARI-EZE, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010/cases.md?model=056091F), [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 related](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/190) (defining event); cases with it: [Page/Le Master VARI-EZE, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/190/sequence.md?model=056091F), [All aircraft, 361 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/190/sequence.md) - [Enroute: Loss of engine power (total)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341); cases with it: [Page/Le Master VARI-EZE, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341/sequence.md?model=056091F), [All aircraft, 3,820 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341/sequence.md) - [Landing-landing roll: Collision during takeoff/land](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/490); cases with it: [Page/Le Master VARI-EZE, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/490/sequence.md?model=056091F), [All aircraft, 1,309 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/490/sequence.md) ## Analysis The pilot departed with 16 gallons of fuel (about 3 hours of flight time) on board for the local flight. About one hour after the departure, the engine experienced a loss of engine power. He switched the fuel selector from the wing tank position to the center tank position, and the engine regained power for 30 seconds before it lost power again. The pilot manipulated the fuel selector two more times only to experience an additional 20 seconds of regained engine power. The pilot then executed an emergency landing during which the fuselage was substantially damaged. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed the left-wing fuel cap was not secured to the fuel tank and both wing fuel tanks were empty. The pilot’s failure to secure the left wing fuel cap likely created a leak in the fuel system which would have exhausted the fuel supply sooner than the pilot planned for and resulted in a loss of power. ## Factual narrative On August 9, 2020, at 0800 Pacific daylight time, a Page/Le Master, Vari-eze experimental airplane, N2ZE, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Kelso Valley, California. The pilot was seriously injured, and the passenger sustained a minor injury. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91 personal flight. The pilot stated he departed California City Municipal Airport (L71), California City, California, with 16 gallons of fuel (about 3 hours of flight time) on board. About 1 hour after the departure, the engine experienced a loss of engine power. The pilot switched the fuel selector from the wing tank position to the center tank position, and the engine regained power for 30 seconds before it lost power. The pilot manipulated the fuel selector from the center tank to the wing tank and back to center tank only to experience an additional 20 seconds of regained engine power. The pilot then decided to execute an emergency landing during which the fuselage was substantially damaged. The pilot reported the loss of engine power was due to “a lack of fuel.” He also reported that he last flew the airplane about 6 months before the accident, and he performed the maintenance on the airplane. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed the left-wing fuel cap was not secured to the fuel tank and both wing fuel tanks were empty. The fuel filter bowl was also empty, and the filter was absent of any debris. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N2ZE](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N2ZE-2023-05-17), registration cancelled 2023-05-17, S/N 522, built 1983 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Rutan VARI EZE (No Series) - Registry model: [Page/Le Master VARI-EZE](https://openairdocs.org/model/page-le-master-vari-eze) (registry code 056091F) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Continental 0-200 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-0-200-series) (registry code 17020, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane, amateur-built - Serial number: 522 - Year built: 1984 - Engines: Continental O-200 SERIES 100 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Destroyed - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Airworthiness certificate: Special, Experimental (Special) - Last inspection: Condition, July 15, 2020 - Departed: L71, California City, CA - Destination: L71, California City, CA ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 55; injuries: serious; flight instructor, airline transport, flight engineer, commercial; airplane ratings: single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 2, without waivers/limitations; seat: front; restraint: 4-point; flight hours: 3,156 total, 10 in this make and model, 22 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: 68 °F - Observed at: L71, 40 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 20200809013869A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20200809013869A), Aug 9, 2020: Page/Le Master VARI-EZE, Cantil, CA, Destroyed. On August 9, 2020, at 0800 PDT, a Page/Le Master, Vari-Eze single engine, experimental, amateur built airplane, N2ZE, was destroyed when it crashed in the… ## Docket (4 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 29, 2022, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=101761. 7.2 MB in all. - Pilot/operator aircraft accident report, NTSB form 6120.1 (item 1, PDF, 11 pages, 6.7 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=13305632&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=6120_Redacted-Rel.pdf - FAA email (item 2, PDF, 1 page, 147 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=13307195&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=FAA%20email_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Pilot's findings (item 3, PDF, 1 page, 177 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=14112515&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Pilot_s%20email%20-%20findings_Redacted-Rel%20(1)-Rel.pdf - Mfr wreckage release (item 4, PDF, 1 page, 145 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=13306985&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Memo%20for%20record%20-%20wreckage%20release-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.