Pilot Debrief

JABIRU J250-SP near GULF OF MEXICO — 2020-06-01

Final reportERA20CA201
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Date
2020-06-01
Location
GULF OF MEXICO, USA
Aircraft
JABIRU J250-SP
Registration
N619J
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0

Probable cause

A total loss of engine power due to a fuel leak that could not be identified since the wreckage was not recovered.

NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that he was conducting a cross country flight and departed the airport with slightly less than 36 gallons of fuel on board. About 1.5 hours into the flight, he noticed that the fuel tank quantities were dropping rapidly. The engine subsequently lost all power, and he set up for a ditching in the Gulf of Mexico. After ditching, the pilot and passenger were picked up by a U.S. Navy helicopter and transported to a local hospital for observation. The airplane eventually sank and was not recovered. The pilot also reported that the engine consumed about 5.5 to 6 gallons of fuel per hour and he suspected a breach of the fuel system prior to the loss of engine power. The airplane was configured with two wing tanks that gravity fed to a header tank; both tanks fed simultaneously utilizing an "On-Off" fuel selector in the cockpit.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • 3 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents3

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