The pilot reported that about 10 miles from his destination airport he exhausted his fuel supply.
Subsequently, the engine experienced a total loss of engine power and he made an emergency landing in a soft dirt field in Andover, Minnesota.
During the landing roll, the amphibious float-equipped Flight Design CTLS nosed over and came to rest on its back after the floats dug into the dirt.
The pilot reported that he did not visually check the fuel quantity prior to flight, but believed he had a sufficient quantity.
He added there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
A post-accident examination of the airplane revealed substantial damage to the fuselage.
Probable cause: The pilot’s improper fuel management and preflight planning, which resulted in the total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion and a forced landing in a field where the airplane nosed over.
NTSB Identification: GAA15CA151
This June 2015 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others.
No, the cause of this accident was a short between the headset and the stick. “I believed I had enough fuel….” I will never understand why people climb into an airplane and start it up with the intention of flying it somewhere but have no idea how much fuel they actually have on board. The attitude is like: Kick the tire, light the fire and let’s see how far we can go before the fire goes out. People like that have no business getting near an airplane much less flying it.
It seems ironic that in the land of 10,000 lakes, he had to put the floatplane down in the dirt!
Uno mas; ” Please” No Mas !!!