The pilot did not fill the RV-6’s fuel tanks before departing. While en route the left fuel tank was exhausted and he switched to the right fuel tank.
Upon reaching 3,000′ during the descent to the destination airport, the right fuel tank was exhausted and the engine lost power.
The pilot reported that when the engine lost power, the “fuel totalizer showed 30 minutes of fuel remaining, but both fuel level sender units read zero.”
He realized the airplane would not glide to the intended airport and opted to land on a driveway at a farm in Ocala, Florida.
During the forced landing the plane hit wood and metal fence posts before the right main wheel dug into the grass and spun the airplane approximately 90° to the right.
The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing spar.
Probable cause: The pilot’s improper fuel planning, which resulted in fuel exhaustion, a total loss of engine power, and a forced landing.
NTSB Identification: GAA17CA022
This October 2016 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.
I have come close to running out of fuel, not a thing I want to encounter again. Extenuating circumstances can always show up. If you cannot afford to fill up the tanks, you don’t need to be flying. Example, I took off with full tanks and the door popped open, could not get it closed, circled back to land, closed the door and took off again. Enroute the winds change 180 degrees from a small tail wind to a heavy head wind not in the forecast. I was with another flying a wide formation. I was getting low on fuel to my standards. I attempted to call my leader, low and behold my radio would not transmit!! I could not turn on the landing lights at the airport I wanted to land at for fuel. My decision was to fly on to destination and stay high until over the runway. I made it luckily. Next day I asked how much fuel did you put in my plane, 48gallon. It only holds 50 gallons! Thank God for getting me down.
Pilots keep doing this.! I wonder is these guys run their cars out of gas too, or run their boats out of gas and get stuck in the middle of a lake.?
It only take 10-15 minutes to taxi to the fuel pumps and add 10-20 gallons.!
These totalizers have to have an accurate starting point and then the pilot needs to manage power and leaning to get the anticipated fuel burn. Using AOPA’s recommendation of an hour’s reserve instead of thirty minutes seems like a great idea at a minimum. Back in the early 80’s I had one of the first cars that had a digital fuel remaining display – one time I stretched it too far and ran out of gas.
I agree. it has to be programmed accurately to be of much value.
I use my wind-up clock, setting it to ’12noon’ on engine start. Then, I only have to look at it during flight to see how many hrs I’ve been flying. If it gets to ‘4 pm’ I landing to refuel.
This way, there is automatic compensation for headwinds and diversions.
30 minutes reserve in my Cessna is 4 gallons, with 2 gallons sloshing in each tank…..no thanks !. My personal reserve is 2 hrs of fuel, 16 gallons of the 52 I take off with.