- Date
- June 26, 2021, 13:30 local (20:30 UTC)
- Place
- Chester, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N41XYDewsnup Dave Zenair CH 701 SP
- Defining event
- Initial climb: Fuel starvation
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- FAA report
- 20210626010929A
- Case key
- 103358
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 failure to properly position of the fuel selector valve, which resulted in a loss of engine power during initial climb due to fuel starvation.
Findings · 2
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 reported that, during the initial climb, the engine sputtered and he discovered that the fuel valve lever was in the OFF position. He moved the fuel selector and fuel pump levers to ON, but the engine lost complete power. The pilot then elected to conduct a forced landing to a marsh field, during which the airplane touched down hard, nosed over, and came to rest inverted. The right wing and the rudder sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N41XY
- Reported as
- Dewsnup Dave Zenair CH 701 SP
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 7-9394
- Built
- 2003
- Engine
- Rotax 914UL, 115 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Departed
- CIC · Chico, CA
- Destination
- O05 · Chester, CA
- Airport
- O05 · Rogers Fld, runway 16/34, 5,020 × 100 ft, asphalt
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
- 60
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- November 27, 2020
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 173 total · 167 in this make and model · 146 as pilot in command · 29 in the last 90 days · 15 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Observed at
- KSVE, 31 nm away
- METAR
- METAR KSVE 262015Z AUTO 06004KT 7SM CLR 27/M04 A3011 RMK AO2=
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 21, 2021, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.7 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.