The pilot reported that during his preflight inspection, he perceived the Pitts S2’s fuel tank was about half full.
After the plane departed the airport in Fort Worth, Texas, the engine lost all power about 1,300 feet above ground level,
He turned back to the airport and selected a field for a forced landing, but realized the airplane was not able to glide to that field, so he selected a closer field. The airplane landed hard and nosed over, which damaged the vertical stabilizer and rudder. The pilot sustained minor injuries in the crash.
Post-accident examination of the airplane revealed the fuel tank contained about 1 gallon of fuel.
Following the accident, the pilot told investigators he misread the fuel gauge.
Probable Cause: The pilot’s inadequate preflight inspection of the fuel level, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.
To download the final report. Click here. This will trigger a PDF download to your device.
This April 2020 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.
If his mistake involves only him, let him have at it, I don’t care. If his mistake involves innocent lives, then I now care.
I find preflight boring and I ask myself, it was OK yesterday, it’s in a hangar what could go wrong. I start to rationalize that it’s OK “probably “ nothing will happen. Then I see my wife, who has trusted me with her life. All that boring stuff goes away and in do my pre-flight by the book.
No short cuts. Even checking that PITA stall warning.
For each of the aircraft that I own, I check the fuel quantity with a dip stick (a few commercially made and a few home made) that are marked in increments suitable for the quantity of the fuel tank. To make one for an aircraft that a commercially made one is not available, place the aircraft in a level flight attitude (on the ground) using whatever you have to do to achieve this, then in an aircraft with multiple fuel tanks, select one tank and drain the contents down to the unusable fuel level utilizing a container under the aircraft, then close whatever fuel cock you used to do this. Then put a wooden dowel – 1/2″ in diameter suggested ( This can be obtained from Home Depot) straight down into the fuel tank until it contacts the bottom of the tank. While holding the dower against the bottom of the tank, mark the dowel with a felt tip pen approx. 5 – 6 inches above the tank filler opening, as this is where you will later cut it off so you don’t have to carry a 36″ piece of wooden dowel around in the aircraft. Remove the dowel and quickly mark with the felt tip pen where the unusable fuel fuel
level is indicating. Now add fuel in measured increments of 2 gallons at a time for aircraft with lower tank quantities of 12 -16 gallons, and 5 gallons at a time, for aircraft with tank quantities of 20 or more. Mark the dipstick after each addition of measured fuel after the fuel settles for half a minute or so. A good substitute for using wooden dowels are clear plastic tubes – 1/8″ inside diameter works good, as the fuel quantity is easily visible after withdrawing it. This clear tubing is available from Aircraft Spruce Co. & other suppliers. Mark the “N” number on the dipstick AND the quantity that each mark represents. (Can also make one from a paint mixing stick)
“But Mr. FAA Inspector, doesn’t ‘E’ on the fuel gauge stand for ‘enough’ ?”
“Perceived” may mean it was simply a mental calculation. Seems a lot of fuel starvations accompany that procedure.
“The pilot reported that, during his preflight inspection, he determined that the fuel tank was about 1/2 full (12 gallons).”
Not.
Someone didn’t want to admit that they didn’t take the gas cap off & look inside the tank.
So, I wonder how this crash will affect his 787 pilot job..?
300 hrs in type, 20,000 hrs total….
Another stupid pilot trick.!
Easy to “second-guess,” call someone stupid but—it really IS possible to screw up, big-time. It’s almost “easier” the more flying time a person has. Complacency kills.
yeah, i was thinking the same thing. a 61 year old 20,000 ATP made the fuel mistake, yipes.