According to the pilot, he was flying the Varga 2150 Kachina to the 2023 EAA AirVenture Oshkosh at Wittman Regional Airport (KOSH), in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
He told investigators that he was proceeding as prescribed in the NOTAM pertaining to arrivals to the airport.
He stated that the airplane’s engine lost power and he activated the auxiliary fuel pump, which restored engine power briefly. The engine again lost power and the pilot executed a forced landing to a corn field near Green Lake, Wisconsin.
The airplane nosed over during the landing and incurred substantial damage to the fuselage and vertical stabilizer. The pilot and passenger received minor injuries.
ADS-B data showed that the airplane departed South Bend International Airport (KSBN) in Indiana at 0856 and proceeded toward KOSH. It maneuvered southwest of KOSH before the data ended at 1233. Using this information, the airplane was airborne for 3 hours and 37 minutes.
Post-accident examination of the airplane at the accident scene was conducted by FAA inspectors. The airplane was inverted in a corn field. There was no fuel smell at the accident site and no evidence of a fuel spill.
Once the airplane was righted, the fuel tanks were examined and no usable fuel was found in the fuel tanks. The tanks were not compromised.
According to the Airplane Operations Manual, the fuel capacity was 35 gallons with 34 gallons usable, and the fuel burn at 75% power when properly leaned was between 8.5 and 8.7 gallons per hour depending on atmospheric conditions, or 3.9 to 4.0 hours endurance without reserve.
Probable Cause: A loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion, which resulted from the pilot’s inadequate preflight planning.
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This July 2023 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.
Me thinks on the picture of the day, the airplane was a STEARMAN and not the STEAMAN as indicated. Always attention to details.
No mention of being given a hold for flight to KOSH, twice, until you read the full report. Had the second hold not been given, the pilot would have probably made it. But ATC allowed a beech to pass him, and then sent him back to the holding pattern.
Granted, fuel in tank is TIME. And once he got to 30 minutes left in tank(s), he needed to break out and get fuel.
Also what is noted in the full report is that he had made the same trip the prior day. So now he had an expectation bias for being able to do this without a fuel stop.
Expectation bias nearly reached up and bit me one time. Someone in our club had flown the 172 on one tank and left the fuel selector on it. I flat out missed it on preflight. Completely my mistake. I only noticed it as I was taxing back in when I saw the disparity on the fuel gauges between left and right. What saved me was that I had about 3/4 tanks when I launched.
And that 3.9-4.0 hrs of fuel doesn’t account for taxi, takeoff and climb. Running out of fuel at 3.4 hrs sounds about right.
I’m sure he can get an Uber to Oshkosh from there.