Pilot Debrief

AERONCA 7CCM near Ocklawaha, FL — 2012-07-14

Final reportERA12LA452
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Date
2012-07-14
Location
Ocklawaha, FL, USA
Aircraft
AERONCA 7CCM
Registration
N83977
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
Minor
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Cruise

Probable cause

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

NTSB narrative

The pilot stated that the airplane was last fueled about 3 months prior to the accident and it had not been flown since that day. The pilot added that prior to the accident flight, he conducted a preflight inspection of the airplane, which included verifying that the fuel gauges indicated near full; however, he did not look in the fuel tanks. About 15 minutes after takeoff, about 1,000 feet above ground level, the airplane experienced a total loss of engine power. The pilot established the best glide speed and started to look for a possible place to perform a forced landing. At the same time, he initiated emergency procedures, which included switching the fuel tanks, but the engine did not regain power. The pilot subsequently performed a forced landing to a swampy area. During the landing, the airplane traveled about 50 feet, nosed over, and came to rest inverted. Examination of the airplane revealed that the fuel tanks were not compromised and did not leak any fuel into the swamp water. The fuel tanks did not contain any fuel in them and no fuel was observed in the fuel lines or carburetor. The examination of the airplane and engine did not disclose any evidence of a mechanical malfunction that would have precluded normal operation.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Fuel management
First missed decision gate
Pilot did not check fuel levels in tanks before flight.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

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

Docket documents4

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