Pilot Debrief

Rutan VARI EZE near Kelso Valley, CA — 2020-08-09

Final reportWPR20LA259
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Date
2020-08-09
Location
Kelso Valley, CA, USA
Aircraft
Rutan VARI EZE
Registration
N2ZE
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
Serious
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Cruise

Probable cause

The pilot’s failure to secure the fuel cap, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.

NTSB narrative

The pilot departed with 16 gallons of fuel (about 3 hours of flight time) on board for the local flight. About one hour after the departure, the engine experienced a loss of engine power. He switched the fuel selector from the wing tank position to the center tank position, and the engine regained power for 30 seconds before it lost power again. The pilot manipulated the fuel selector two more times only to experience an additional 20 seconds of regained engine power. The pilot then executed an emergency landing during which the fuselage was substantially damaged. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed the left-wing fuel cap was not secured to the fuel tank and both wing fuel tanks were empty. The pilot’s failure to secure the left wing fuel cap likely created a leak in the fuel system which would have exhausted the fuel supply sooner than the pilot planned for and resulted in a loss of power.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Fuel management
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have checked fuel cap and tank levels before departure.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • 4 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents4

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