Pilot Debrief

EMBRAER EMB-110P1 near Warren, VT — 2014-05-21

Final reportERA14IA249
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Date
2014-05-21
Location
Warren, VT, USA
Airport
0B7
Aircraft
EMBRAER EMB-110P1
Registration
N116WA
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Cruise

Probable cause

The pilot's inadequate preflight inspection, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.

NTSB narrative

According to the pilot, 1,000 lbs of fuel was to be added to each fuel tank the night before the incident flight. The next morning, he conducted a preflight inspection and reported seeing 1,000 lbs per side and then departed the home base airport on the cargo flight. The pilot reported that, while in cruise flight, the fuel low-pressure light illuminated, followed shortly thereafter by the right engine and then the left engine shutting down. The pilot subsequently diverted the flight to a nearby airport. Upon touchdown, the pilot used "aggressive braking." The left tire subsequently deflated, the airplane veered left, the left main landing gear departed the paved portion of the runway, and then the right tire deflated. Following the incident, maintenance personnel conducted a fuel quantity gauge accuracy test, and no abnormalities or malfunctions were noted that would have precluded normal operation. Postincident examination of the fuel system revealed that the fuel tanks were devoid of fuel. The fuel caps were found secure and in place, and no evidence of any preaccident mechanical malfunction or failure was found. There was no evidence of any fuel staining or leakage. A review of the airplane's fueling records revealed that it was last refueled over a week before the incident; it was not fueled the night before the incident as requested by the pilot. During that week, the airplane was flown about 1.9 flight hours; 1,100 lbs of fuel remained after that flight. Maintenance personnel subsequently conducted multiple engine performance runs and two taxi repositions, which consumed about 600 lbs of fuel, leaving about 500 lbs of fuel, which was also reported by a maintenance technician after the most recent test run before the flight. Given the lack of any preexisting mechanical anomalies and that no fuel was recovered from the airplane, it is likely that the engine lost power due to fuel exhaustion because of the pilot's inadequate preflight inspection.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Fuel management
First missed decision gate
Pilot did not verify fuel load before departure, leading to fuel exhaustion.

NTSB coding

  • Fuel exhaustion · Enroute-cruise
  • Preflight Inspection

Evidence available

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

Docket documents4

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