The pilot reported that, during his preflight inspection, he perceived that both fuel tanks were full. Based on previous flights in the Van’s RV-7, full fuel tanks allowed for about five hours of flight endurance.
About four hours after departure, he noticed a low fuel quantity on the cockpit gauges, but continued the flight toward the planned destination airport.
Several minutes later, the engine lost power, and he made a forced landing to a field in Itasca, Texas.
The airplane hit a power line and nosed over, which resulted in substantial damage to the right wing and fuselage.
Post-accident examination of the airplane revealed that the fuel tanks contained no usable fuel.
Following the accident, the pilot stated he should have landed earlier to refuel. He also discovered that a co-owner had not filled the fuel tanks after the previous flight, as he had expected.
Probable cause: The pilot’s inadequate preflight planning and improper in-flight decision-making, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.
NTSB Identification: CEN17CA371
This September 2017 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.
Maybe we should start a list of all these people that run out of fuel, print there names very clearly and submit it to insurance company’s so at time of renewal the insurance company’s will have some real facts on these people instead of some phony stats. Perhaps after these people start paying more for insurance year after year it will make sense to them, “not to run out of fuel”. It seems that when it starts costing people money or time in jail, it makes an impression on people and they start paying attention, which is good. Otherwise it may cost plenty at the end, way to much…Some people have to be led by the hand and spanked on occasion in order to get their attention..sorry but those are the facts…
Done.! The NTSB form 6120 is public info and the ins. co. will certainly look at it.
See my other comment below with the link.
1. This costs us all in higher insurance rates, thank you very much!
2. We should identify the perpetrators of this dastardly deed every time it happens. Maybe the embarrassment of having your name plastered across the country when something foolish like this happens will make people stop and think before they assume something.
3. I don’t like a lot of regulations, but if you RUN OUT OF GAS, you should have to forfeit your pilot certificate.
You can read the NTSB form 6120 on the dockets page;
https://dms.ntsb.gov/pubdms/search/hitlist.cfm?docketID=60610&CFID=2871280&CFTOKEN=90618e732d250777-1C99CD21-EB7B-7403-F4710C190DF1F9AF
Something doesn’t sound right with this pilots story.?
The O-360A1A is 180 hp and the fuel use is 10.5 gph at 75% power and 9.5 gph at 65% power.
With 40 gallons aboard, I’d use 3.8 hrs as the maximum endurance., and with 30 minutes reserve that’s 3.3 hrs flight time.
This guy flew a number of diversions and a couple of climbs to higher altitude. He should have known that his fuel state was low at 4 hrs…vs an approximate 3.6 hrs to fly the 622nm, assuming 165 kts.
A friends RV7 is a fast aircraft with 180 hp., usually cruising at 170 kts
With this aircraft being an experimental, I don’t know if there is a requirement for the fuel gauges to be calibrated.
Also, this is a 1,000 hr pilot with only 109 hrs in type, so he may not had had a good idea of the fuel burn rate.
So, more stupid pilot tricks.
No such thing as ‘fuel exhaustion.” He ran out of gas.
Oh, “during his preflight inspection, he perceived that both fuel tanks were full” what the heck does “percieved” mean? Either there was fuel or there was not…if a pilot can’t tell the difference, again they do not belong in the air.
He “perceived” that the partner filled the tanks. I.E., he did not look.
Unless he leaned properly fuel consumption estimates are just a guess.
Fuel gauges in type certificated aircraft are only required to be accurate when empty.There are reasons why you run out of fuel.
Most are within the pilot’s control.
Talk about “Stupid Pilot Tricks”. During preflight he “perceived” the tanks were full but did not actually check them assuming they had been filled after the previous flight (who ever had made it). And then after 4 hours of flight he finally looked at the fuel gauges and noticed that the quantity was low, just moments before he ran out of fuel. Since this was a low wing aircraft it would seem that had had to switch tanks at some point during the flight which usually involves looking at the fuel gauges. That is unless some form of header tank allowed him to draw from both tanks simultaneously but I am not sure if that can be done. This would have to be about the most careless attitude I have heard of in a case of fuel exhaustion that was not triggered by some mechanical fault and it was certainly the most preventable. I would hate to say it but maybe this guy needs to have his license revoked because it seems obvious he is unable, or unwilling, to follow the most basic safety related procedures related to his flying.
Trying not to be judgemental here , but with a pre-flight comes the dipping of the tanks which goes beyond a perception and assumption.
Anyway happy to hear the outcome was survivable.
ASS U ME. MEANS MAKE AN ASS OUT OF YOU AND ME. Thus he made an ASS out of himself for lazy pre flight . NEVER ASSUME. ALWAYS VARIFY. YOUR LIFE DEPENDS ON IT.
At least he confirmed the low fuel light works (ed)
All pertinent statements/comments…so be judgemental…as this is tolerated….and as far as corrective action??…you know about ‘sanctuary cities.’..so the least competent, for whatever the ‘impairment’…are sheltered from accountability…just the plain truth…??