Pilot Debrief

WHITE THORPE T 18 near CLEBURNE, TX — 2018-03-14

Final reportCEN18LA124
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Date
2018-03-14
Location
CLEBURNE, TX, USA
Airport
TX46
Aircraft
WHITE THORPE T 18
Registration
N118RG
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
Serious
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Climb

Probable cause

The loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.

NTSB narrative

The private pilot reported that the engine was running roughly after he departed on the local flight; after troubleshooting to no avail, he decided to return to the airport. He stated that he "mistakenly landed in a pasture, short of the runway," and the airplane struck a tree. Although the pilot reported that the fuel line was not feeding fuel to the engine, he also reported that he believed he ran out of fuel; examination of the airplane revealed no evidence of fuel. Because of the pilot's belief that he ran out of fuel and the lack of evidence of fuel at the accident site, it is likely that the engine lost power due to fuel exhaustion.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Engine power loss
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have returned to the airport sooner instead of troubleshooting engine issues.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • Photos
  • 4 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents4

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