- Date
- February 24, 2023, 18:20 local (Feb 25, 2023, 02:20 UTC)
- Place
- Mulino, OR · landed approx .5 miles short of rwy 32
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N8500ZAircraft Mfg & Development CH 2000
- Defining event
- Enroute-descent: Fuel exhaustion
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- PDX FSDO
- FAA report
- 20230224014339A
- Case key
- 106789
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 inadequate fuel planning which resulted in a loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.
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, he departed with 28 gallons of fuel onboard for a cross-country flight and he used 100% power during the flight. The flight was uneventful for a little over four hours, until the pilot was approaching his destination and the engine began to run rough and sputter. The pilot was unable to reach a nearby airport and force-landed the airplane in an open field where the nose landing gear collapsed, which resulted in substantial damage to the lower fuselage. The pilot and a law enforcement examined the fuel tank and discovered that the fuel tank was empty. Fuel usage computations indicated the engine likely consumed all the fuel onboard while operating at 100% power. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8500Z
- Reported as
- Aircraft Mfg & Development CH 2000
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 20-1003
- Built
- 2002
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-nc2, 116 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Jonathan E Kreilich
- Registered owner
- Jonathan E Kreilich
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility
- Departed
- O52 · Yuba City, CA
- Destination
- OG20 · Oregon City, OR
- Airport
- 4S9 · Mulino State, runway 32, 3,425 × 100 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- None
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
- 55
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 504 total · 410 in this make and model · 460 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Wind
- 360° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 30 °F, dew point 16 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.06 inHg
- Observed at
- KUAO, 8 nm away
- METAR
- KUAO 250253Z AUTO 36009KT 10SM CLR M01/M09 A3006 RMK AO2 SLP181 T10111089 53008
Docket · 5
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 7, 2023, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.0 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.